RWBY RE: Volume 4
by fall-R3aper
Summary: My rewrite of Volume 4 of RWBY(It's recommended you read Volumes 1-3 before this one as they are referenced and the storyline is continued from those). Structurally pretty different, certain storylines are fleshed out far more, music is directly referenced and a couple of OCs are thrown into the mix to serve minor/secondary roles.
1. Chapter 1: The Next Step

Out from a dark puddle in the middle of a wasteland emerged a single clawed arm. It grasped at the ground and soon another clawed arm did as a Beowolf pulled itself out of the puddle and walked into the world, letting out a howl as it started into the wasteland, walking away from the Castle on the cliff.

In the main hall of the castle was a meeting room with a table and several chairs set up. Sitting in them was a lanky mustached man, who was looking at his scroll, a large burly man who sat with his arms crossed and another man who was cackling madly and looking to whom had entered the room.

Cinder Fall, the Fall maiden, entered the room and sat at the table. She wore a new outfit, her hair was cut shorter and one of her arms was hidden by a long sleeve as she looked down and away.

"I must say..." Commented the man with the scroll in his hand. "It is a rather pleasant change of pace for you to be silent." he chuckled.

Cinder glared up at him and tried to raise her voice, only to cough and choke.

The man snickered as Emerald and Mercury glared at him.

"Says tall dark and lanky." Mercury crossed his arms.

"Right and who children, might I remind, helped you the most with your operation." the man chuckled.

The insane man was still cackling but now at Cinder. "You got beaten by a novice silver eyed warrior! How embarrassing that must be for you!"

Cinder scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You know what you should do?! You should take her eye! She took your's after all! An eye for an eye!" he laughed.

"You should have known better than to let her exist as a potential threat." the large man noted.

"We couldn't exactly risk blowing her cover or the entire operation." Emerald argued back.

"Good point. But my argument still stands, that when the attack was starting, someone should have made the effort to deal with the potential threat to the operation."

Emerald looked down and sighed, he was completely right. Suddenly the insane man's laughter stopped as the door to the room opened. Everyone turned their attention and stood as Salem entered the room. She walked over and took her seat, raising her hand up for everyone else to take their seats, everyone except Emerald and Mercury who didn't have seats of their own.

"There's no need for such rudeness, Dr. Watts." Salem stated, glaring at him as he looked away.

"I admit... I may have gotten a little ahead of myself. But in all fairness, Cinder shouldn't have let herself get beaten by a novice. Especially not with the maiden's power at her behest." Watts stated.

"Oh but that is where you're wrong, Doctor. It is because of how she got the power that she was weak to the girl's eyes." Salem explained.

Cinder grit her teeth at this.

"But fret not dear Cinder. You have performed excellently. Because of you, Beacon has fallen, Ozpin has perished and to top it all off, you're now our Fall Maiden." Salem smiled to Cinder who returned it. "But i do need to ask you, are you absolutely certain Ozpin has been dealt with for the time?"

Cinder nodded.

"Say it." Salem's eyes narrowed.

"Y...Y...Yes..." Cinder responded with a weak and raspy voice.

"Excellent. For the time you will stay here while we resume your treatment for your injuries." Salem stood up and looked back out towards the wasteland. "We will proceed with our next plans at once."

"Watts, I need you to take Cinder's place and meet with our informant at Haven." Salem instructed.

"Gladly." he nodded.

"Hazel." Salem turned towards the burly man. "Meet with Adam Taurus and ensure that our negotiations with Sienna Khan go as planned. With the White Fang fully on our side, we can ensure that humanity stays divided."

"Of course." Hazel stood himself up.

"Tyrian I need you to resume you're search for the Spring maiden-" Salem stopped when Emerald raised her hand, clearly shaking in fear of speaking. "Child... What is it?"

Emerald glanced over to Cinder who nodded. "Cinder she... She wants to know what you'll do about the silver eyed girl that caused her injuries."

"It hardly seems like our problem." Watts scoffed.

"Now, now Watts. I think Cinder has a point. The girl could be of use to us." Salem mused.

"How so?" Emerald asked before Salem raised her hand up, silencing her.

"Don't be concerned with such details, child." Salem assured before looking back towards Tyrian. "Tyrian, a slight change in your plans. I need you to find the silver eyed girl."

Tyrian was elated and clapped in excitement for what he would get to do to her.

"And bring her to me alive." Salem finished much to Tyrian's dismay before he then chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Gladly, my Queen." he bowed his head before glancing back towards Cinder and chuckling. "AN EYE FOR AN EYE!" he motioned and kept laughing.

"It is because of your combined efforts that Beacon has fallen. Do not forget that." Salem remarked. "If we keep proceeding along this path, it won't be too long before Haven falls next. You are all dismissed."

* * *

Atop a cliff stood a figure, cloaked in a red hood, looking down towards a village with several plumes of smoke coming from it. A nevermore flew overhead and that's when the figure took out their weapon, it was Crescent Rose. She leaped off of the cliff and jumped onto the nevermore's back, stabbing Crescent Rose into it as she then steered it towards the village before finally firing a shot out that allowed her to cut through the wing of the Nevermore allowing herself to fall and land right onto a statue. The figure's hood fell off her head revealing none other than Ruby Rose.

She stood with her eyes closed as Beowolves started to circle around her, licking their teeth in anticipation for this meal.

Before the first one could make it's move Ruby sprung forward in a blur of Rose petals and slashed through the first one glaring towards the others as they howled now. Ruby fired a shot from Crescent Rose, into the shoulder of another Beowolf, rolling back and kicking off of the one she rolled back onto, stabbing her scythe's bottom blade into it as she then glared around her and ducked from a claw swipe, slicing through the neck of another approaching Beowolf and then jumping over a lunge and slicing another Beowolf clean in half.

Ruby then kicked another one that stood in her way and sliced through it's torso before spinning around and slamming another Beowolf into a wooden support beam of a building with the back end of her scythe. She then jumped into the air and spun her scythe around her slicing it clean through a beowolf before several more started to crowd around her. Ruby swatted the first one aside and started to rush at all of the approaching ones, using her semblance to keep up with all of them as she sliced through each one that approached. She decapitated one last one before a boulder hit her in the face and she slid back several feet, spotting a Beowolf throwing bricks in her direction.

She then leaped up into the air with her semblance just as a large boulder was thrown in her direction, somehow splitting herself into three red blurs of rose petals before combining again and appearing behind the beowolf and blasting it's head off with her sniper, the shot boosting her right into a passing nevermore that she then kicked off of, slamming right into the ground, landing herself on top of another beowolf that disintegrated as the ground cracked beneath her while she looked around when suddenly a large fist slammed her through the doors of the bell tower building.

Ruby glanced up as she regained her balance now and saw it, it was a Beringel Grimm, it's face looked half burnt off as it then charged at her.

The attack missed and Ruby then countered with a slash that only got her scythe stuck in it's leg. The beast roared and grabbed her by the head and punched her again, slamming her into a wall as it then started to run after her.

Ruby turned her weapon back into it's sniper form and started firing on it, the bullets doing little damage to it's armor and only slightly chipping at it while it ran before it ducked from the last shot and then spotted a couple of approaching Beowolves.

It threw the beowolf in Ruby's direction much to her surprise as she cut through it, only to barely dodge a jumping slam by the Beringel that shattered part of the roof. Ruby then charged forward as the Beringel did, jumping onto it's arm as it slammed it's fist into the ground and firing off several shots from Crescent Rose at it before quickly turning it back to it's scythe form and slashing at it's leg again, her scythe once again being stuck as she then dodged around it's next attack and kept slashing at it, the beast staggering back from an attack that hit it's face before clapping it's hands together as Ruby was in front of it.

The Beringel missed it's attack as Ruby blurred away again in rose petals, now in the sky as she then boosted herself forward and charged at it, slashing at it's face again. She sped around it more but it finally grew tired and slammed it's fists into the roof again, this time shattering it and causing Ruby to sink into the depths of the bell tower now as it leaped down and roared victoriously.

Time seemed to slow as a single flower petal seeped out of the bell tower followed by several more as they all seemed to flow towards the Beringel. It turned towards the bell tower and the large circular glass window before starting to walk over as the petals rose to the top of the tower's interior, when suddenly out of that window burst Ruby Rose, still very much alive. She jumped over another attack the Beringel attempted on her with the help of her scythe and then tripped it by hooking her scythe around it's legs and firing a shot out before finally using her semblance to create a vortex by running around it, lifting it into the air as she then floated over it before boosting herself downward and stabbing Crescent Rose right between it's bone breastplates, the life fading from the Beringel's eyes as Ruby then glanced up while it faded away. Another beowolf lunged at her before it was suddenly exploded into a pink dust as Jaune, Nora and Ren approached.

"Hope you saved some for us." Nora grinned sheepishly as she held her Magnhild's grenade launcher form over her shoulder.

"Only if you finished securing the villagers." Ruby returned the grin.

"We still have the rest of the Grimm in town and then the Geist in the nearby woods a few of the villagers spotted." Jaune remarked.

"Then let's get to work." Ren nodded.

* * *

The next morning the team of students were now walking through the forests with their weapons at the ready. "So we just gotta kill this thing before it gets in contact with anything, right?" Ruby asked.

"Yep. Otherwise it'll be a lot more difficult to fight." Jaune noted.

"So I was thinking..." Nora began. "Our team name could be team... JNRR."

"JNRR's not a color though." Ren noted with a slight eye roll.

"RNJR's cooler anyways." Ruby interjected as she looked down her scope.

"Yeah but I mean 3 of us are members of team JNPR." Nora pouted. "And you're not a member of JNPR."

"Well you, Jaune, and Ren are all grouped up still in the name RNJR. Or maybe you'd prefer RRNJ." Ruby joked.

"Why do you gotta be the leader?" Nora whined before Ren covered her mouth and pulled her behind a bush.

"I think we've found our target." Ren stated as the Geist was floating in front of a large boulder.

"We need to cut it down before it gets into that boulder. " Jaune stated.

"ON IT!" Ruby and Nora shouted at the same time, alerting the Geist immediately before the two started shooting at it, only to miss as the Geist flew into the boulder and formed into a Petra Gigas.

"That's on the both of us, isn't it?" Ruby groaned, looking to Nora.

"Hey, you said it, not me." Nora rolled her eyes before transforming Magnhild into it's hammer form.

Ruby started shooting for the mask on the Petra Gigas's head, the Grimm raising an arm of rocks to block the bullets while Jaune was looking around for any possible openings on this monster since his weapon wasn't at all too useful on rocks.

Ren on the other hand jumped up onto the tree line and leaped off from there onto the back of the Petra Gigas, now starting to fire down on the mask before he was shaken off and fell, quickly catching himself and rolling out of the way of a stomp.

Nora fired a grenade at it, severing it's arm as Jaune now made his bid to try and climb on the beast. "This is good, we have a chance now! Just don't let it pick anything else up!"

"RIGHT!" Ruby noted before dodging an attack and speeding through it's remaining arm with her semblance and severing it's connection, now leaving it armless and floundering about, looking for an arm to attach itself to. It found that with a couple of trees that it now swung around as it's arms.

"Heh, big mistake." Ruby smirked as she loaded a fire cartridge into Crescent Rose and shot the Petra Gigas, lighting it's tree arm on fire.

"BIG MISTAKE!" Jaune panicked now, having let go of the Petra Gigas as it swung it's burning arm around to try and swat him off. "Ruby, that was a bad idea! A VERY BAD IDEA!"

"Sorry!" Ruby apologized as she then looked over towards Nora, who was struggling to dodge the Petra Gigas's attacks and smirked.

Nora slammed her hammer into the not burning Tree arm splintering wood all around her now as the arm was shortened.

"Hey Nora! Wanna try that team attack we've been practicing!" Ruby called out.

"OH I THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER ASK!" Nora grinned.

"Sugar Rush!" Ruby called out as Nora jumped in front of her and Ruby activated her semblance, the two now swirling into a blur of pink and red before Nora brought her hammer down through the Petra Gigas's central body with the momentum Ruby had given her, shattering it to pieces and forcing the Geist out of it

Ruby rolled and reloaded Crescent Rose now, aiming down the scopes as the Geist attempted to flee, only to turn around and see a bullet speeding towards it.

* * *

"Thank you all again for saving our village and dealing with that Geist that's been a problem for us for a while." the village's chieftan thanked the team. "Um... Team..."

"JNR-" Nora shouted out before being cut off.

"RNJR!" Ruby interrupted Nora.

"In all fairness RNJR is cooler." Jaune mused much to Nora's frustration.

"We've been discussing the name for months." Ren shook his head as the village chieftan chuckled a little.

"The Blacksmith's done with what you asked him to do." The chieftan stated as he started back towards the town square. "I'll be back out here with your reward for all the help." he assured as the team walked into the Blacksmith's shop, the blacksmith was notably a cattle faunus with large horns on his head.

"All done." the blacksmith put a new armor plate along with a few other pieces onto the table including Crocea Mors which looked sturdier and shinier than it had earlier. "That metal you gave me was of some fine quality." he smiled.

Jaune looked down sadly for a moment before he then started to gear up with his new equipment. He started by taking off his armor plate, revealing his Pumpkin Pete's hoodie underneath that Ruby giggled at a little.

"Ruby, you've known I've had this for a while." Jaune stated.

"Y-Yeah but that still doesn't change the fact that you've gone into battle with Pumpkin Pete this whole time!" Ruby snickered more.

"Hey, he's a... Not very healthy... Part of your breakfast!" Jaune defended before continuing to armor up. He finally stepped forward, wearing the new armor and holding his upgraded weapon.

"You clean up pretty well there kid." The blacksmith complimented.

"It's your handy work." Jaune smiled as the man chuckled a little.

"You're welcome at my shop any time you find yourself here." he assured as the team exited his shop only to again be greeted by the Chieftan who now had four horses in tow that all had bags and saddles on them.

"Please accept this gift as payment for your services." The chieftan bowed. "Four horses along with some basic supplies and materials for your weapons."

"Thank you very much sir." Ruby smiled. "But no need to be so formal. We only want to just help people out."

"But we won't look a gift horse in the mouth." Ren nodded while Nora was literally looking one of their gift horses in the mouth as it blew steam out of it's nose, blowing her back slightly.

"We're going to Haven. If you want you could come with us, it's much safer in Mistral than out here." Jaune stated.

"I appreciate the sentiment. But we're better off with our way of life out here than in there." the chieftan scoffed. "People like our blacksmith there wouldn't be much as tolerated in Mistral. He's a long time friend."

"Makes sense." Ren nodded as he saddled up on the horse.

"So the closest train station to Mistral is in Shion Village?" Ruby asked.

"Yes that would be correct, it's just up this path, there's a few signs, you can't miss it." the chieftan assured.

"Thank you again for all your help." Ren smiled before glancing over and seeing Jaune struggling to keep his horse from throwing him off.

"It should be me thanking you kids. Be safe out there." he saw them off.

Ruby and Ren were doing alright on their horses, Nora's horse was walking erratically while Jaune's horse was walking with him facing the wrong way as he looked as though he was about to turn green.

"Is being horse sick a thing?" Jaune asked as he was trying to hold himself back from throwing up.

"Ren let's ride a little faster, I don't want any puke on me. That smell will linger for days till we can get a shower!" Ruby whined as Ren just sighed.

"Last one to Shion's a rotten egg!" Nora laughed, speeding her horse up to keep up with them.

"Nora, for the last time we're not racing there." Ren argued.

* * *

**Commentary**: Here we start off Volume 4! There is a couple of more things I'd like to clarify timeline wise here,

RNJR- Present Day

Blake's arc- 1 month behind RNJR

Weiss' arc- 2 weeks behind RNJR

Yang's arc- 3 weeks behind RNJR

That is subject to change by the end of Volume 4.

Now onto this chapter itself, I essentially put Chapter 1 and the character short together along with removing some stuff. Also the plan team RNJR has IS taking the train, but they've had to travel inland just to reach the first train station, which is in Shion Village. I also couldn't resist some minor horse humor since Team RNJR are riding horses now instead of just walking.


	2. Chapter 2: Reflections of the Past

Atlesian Military ships flew through the airspace outside of a bedroom window. Sat in this bedroom was Weiss Schnee, who looked out towards the sky longingly before turning her attention back towards her scroll, looking at a picture of her with the rest of team RWBY and JNPR.

"C'mon Weiss you're my bestest pal ever, aren't you?!" Ruby's voice asked her.

"Not in a million years you dolt!" Weiss spat back in an argument.

"I dunno, sounds like best friend talk to me." Yang's voice joked.

"Blake please help me." Weiss complained.

"You two, please stop pestering Weiss." Blake's voice stated calmly as the pestering clearly didn't stop.

Weiss was snapped out of her stupor when the door to her room opened and in entered Klein.

"Oh hello Klein." Weiss greeted her butler with a kind bow.

"Oh, Miss it's very alright, you don't need to be so formal." he assured her. "I know your father's been beating that into your head again, but you can act yourself around me."

"Thank you, Klein." Weiss smiled before sitting back down. "What is it that you needed from me?" she asked.

"Oh, it's your father. He wants to see you." Klein explained. "He might be a little angry." Klein chuckled as his eyes flashed red for a moment. "It's probably just a bunch of hot air." he joked in a rude tone.

"K-Klein!" Weiss was stifling a laugh. "I-I'll go." Weiss stood up.

"Would you like me to get you anything Madame?" he asked.

"You don't need to get me anything, I'll be fine." she assured before she exited the room, Klein having successfully lifted her spirits up a little.

Her spirits soon lowered again as she continued on her long walk through the manor towards her father's office. Throughout the manor were statues and other pieces of art, a statue of a King Taijitu and several scenery paintings, the last painting before her father's office was a family portrait showing her father, Jacques Schnee was smiling where as everyone else, her mother, her younger brother, Winter and herself wore neutral expressions.

She took a deep breath, hand on the door's handle as she overheard the sounds of arguing from inside the office.

* * *

"I'm telling you Jacques, this is for the safety of Atlas and it's people." Ironwood argued.

"An Embargo is only going to hurt Atlas! It's going to wreck this economy that all those heists in Vale also ruined! Heists your military let happen!" Jacques argued back leaning on his desk.

"I'm not here to argue with you, Jacques. I'm here to tell you what's going to happen." Ironwood explained.

"But you can't! The council won't allow it!" he slammed his fist onto the desk.

"I can. Remember, I whole two seats on the council and I carry the majority vote with a colleague of mine." Ironwood stated.

"Well I'll have you know that when I run for council in-" he stopped when Weiss opened the door to the room.

"Y-You wanted me?" Weiss asked.

"Ah, apologies if you've heard us in anyway." Ironwood bowed his head.

"It's alright." Weiss assured.

"I'm sorry for what happened and how we couldn't protect Beacon." the general apologized.

"Don't apologize." Weiss shook her head. "I just need to know if my friends will be okay."

"I already sent your friend, Miss Xiao Long a gift that should help her along in her recovery. I'm afraid I can't do much else. But, you are always welcome in Atlas academy." he pat her shoulder and started his way out the door.

"Preposterous. You won't be doing any such thing." Jacques scoffed at the notion.

"Why not?" Weiss asked.

"You saw what happened at Beacon. I don't want my heiress in the line of fire anymore." Jacques shook his head.

"But I made my choice to go to Beacon, and my friends-"

"You'll never see them again." Jacques raised his voice slightly which made Weiss shrink back.

He let out a sigh and furrowed his eyebrows. "Look, I didn't mean it like that. But your life there, it's over. What matters now is that you're home and you're safe where you belong, here in Atlas."

Weiss looked down and away from him. "I just wanted to make a difference. I wanted to make things better for our family. Prove that there's more to being a Schnee than just aggressively making as much money as possible."

"You're right, Weiss." Jacques stated.

"I... I am? You agree with me?!" Weiss was surprised.

"There's more to being a Schnee than making money. There's our public image we have to keep in mind!" Jacques began as Weiss rolled her eyes. "Which is why, I would like for you to hold a concert next week."

"Next week?!" Weiss was surprised. "I don't have any new songs ready!"

"Well you should probably get to that then." Jacques stated, leaning back in his chair.

"What's the concert for?" Weiss asked.

"It's a fundraiser. For Vale. All raised funds will go towards lending aid to the Kingdom of Vale." Jacques assured her.

Weiss looked down but then glanced back towards him. "If it will help Vale and my friends there, then I'll do it." she stated.

"Excellent." Jacques smiled. "You are dismissed."

Weiss nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her.

She began her long walk back to her room and sighed when from around a corner of the hall her brother approached her.

"Whitley." she stated flatly.

"Hello my dearest sister, Weiss." Whitley bowed to her.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"What do I want? Now, now. I just wanted to check up on my darling older sister, Weiss. To make sure she's fine after all that trauma she went through at Beacon." he explained to her.

"I'm fine, Whitley." Weiss crossed her arms. "What is it?"

"Oh I just am aware you're in need of help with song writing. I could very much offer my aid to you." he smiled to her.

"Thanks for the offer, Whitley. But I should do this myself." she turned away from him.

"Now, wait wait!" Whitley halted her as she turned back towards him. "We can discuss this over a meal. We can go to our favorite dinner together!"

"That's your favorite diner Whitley, not mine." Weiss rolled her eyes as she opened the door to her room. "Why don't you go see what mother is up to?"

"Ugh, all she's doing is drinking in the garden like she always does." Whitley crossed his arms now.

"You normally hate me, and you also hate Winter." Weiss pointed out.

"Well, I just want to be nice for a change. Is there anything wrong with that?" Whitley pouted.

"Well, how about this, Whitley. If I need help or if I'm stuck on any part of my song. I will ask you for help." Weiss offered.

"Oh I am very gracious that you're willing to consider my help!" he shook her hand and smiled eagerly. "I promise you, my dearest sister Weiss, I will help you when I can."

Weiss just shrugged and closed her door on him.

"I'll help you help me to what's rightfully mine." his eyes narrowed in slight anger.

* * *

Weiss groaned as she tapped her pen to her head and looked at the blank sheet of paper before her. It was now late at night and she was still up. "It's been ages since I've had to write music and father expects a song in a week? This is ridiculous." Weiss furrowed her eyebrows. "I need time to practice as well."

She was about to slip out of consciousness when her door opened and in entered Klein with a cup of coffee at the ready for her. "Thank you, Klein." Weiss yawned before taking a sip of the delicious beverage.

"Don't thank me alone for this madame. You can also thank your brother. He asked me to get you this cup. Although I spiced it up with the things I know you like." Klein smiled to her with purple eyes before his eyes flashed a turquoise for a second and he sneezed. "Oh my bad! ACHOO!" he sneezed again as his eyes turned yellow now. "Dearest apologies! A-And the best of luck in your song writing endeavors, my happy little Snowflake!" he left her to her writing now.

"Of course." Weiss nodded before seeing him off and smiling. "Maybe Whitley does care." Weiss looked down, taking a deep breath. "Perhaps one meal couldn't hurt..."

* * *

**Commentary**: So begins Weiss's storyline here. I can assure you, Weiss's storyline for my take on Volume 4 is a little more structured with some clear obstacles to overcome along with a new character thrown into the mix that you'll see later. Which her current dilemma is mainly just songwriting when she feels stuck.


	3. Chapter 3: Out to sea

The SS Pride docked in Vale's harbor all of the passengers began boarding, each presenting their passports. Among the last few was Blake Belladonna who was sporting a new outfit with a trench coat on in order to keep herself incognito. The captain let her on and she stood on the top deck of the ship.

It would not too soon from then pull out of Vale's harbor. Blake watched from the back end of the ship as Vale and Beacon grew smaller into the distance. "I can't ever go back..." she looked down, undoing her ribbon and letting go of it as it blew out of her hand with the sea breeze. "I won't be needing this where I'm going..."

* * *

"So... You're Ex White Fang too, then?" Blake asked while reading the back cover of a book.

"You know it." Cyrus nodded, fox ears folding against his head. "Although do try and keep that on the down low. The less people know the better. My teammates already knew because that was something I came clean to them about very early on."

"I can relate." Blake nodded. "My teammates found out pretty early on too and it led to some... Trouble..."

"Is it with the Schnee girl?" Cyrus asked.

"In plain, yes. Surprisingly my team leader and my partner didn't seem to care all that much that I used to be a member of the White Fang. I guess they believe in second chances." Blake put a book back onto the shelf. Nothing she found was particularly of interest to her taste in novel.

"Why'd you leave the White Fang anyways?" Blake asked.

"I just grew too exhausted and I was beginning to feel like we were getting nowhere. I want our people to be equal just as much as the next guy, but when people started actually hurting from what we've done, I took that as we were moving a step back and into the wrong direction. I want what's right for us. But I also don't want innocent people hurt." Cyrus confessed.

"That's noble of you, Cyrus." Blake smiled. "But we also just can't let ourselves be pushovers." she shook her head. "I'm not sure you know about the White Fang's first leader, but he held onto those beliefs that we can only be peaceful and not raise our fists to anything."

"Of course I've heard of that leader, isn't he your father?" Cyrus asked, Blake froze up.

"I-"

"Hey Blake, there you are!" Yang turned the corner and smiled. "Flirting with that Foxy boy there?"

"W-What?!" Cyrus's face flushed pink at the accusation. "It was nothing like that! We were just having a friendly conversation-"

"Oh I know, I know. It's just fun making boys squirm." Yang chuckled before taking Blake's hand. "C'mon Blake, we're gonna miss our scheduled team meal out! Team CFVY's gonna be there and everything!"

"S-Sorry Cyrus. I guess we'll have to continue this talk later!" Blake awkwardly scratched the back of her head before turning back towards Yang. "A-Alright I'm ready to get going. I'm sorry I forgot."

"Seeya Blake." Cyrus waved her off as the two started towards the library's exit.

"It's no biggie, B."

"B?" Blake was confused.

"Yeah, you're the B in RW**B**Y, right? I thought It'd be cute to call you by your letter." Yang chuckled.

"Well in that case why don't I call you Y?" Blake snapped back with a slight smirk.

"Well, I don't see **Y** not." Yang laughed as the two left the library.

* * *

Blake took a deep breath and turned away as Beacon was too small for her to see now while she walked towards one of the entrances to the inside of the ship. She stopped however when she felt a tinge down her spine. She glanced over her shoulder but saw no one. There was however someone there, someone wearing a cloak that slowly walked in her direction. She took a deep breath and decided to try and get some sleep for the remainder of the trip, laying on one of the cots and looking up towards the ceiling.

"I just need sleep." she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, hoping to clear her mind of troubling thoughts, but that's when they came rushing back to her like all that had happened so suddenly that night.

* * *

Blake was pacing around in Adam's tent, gritting her teeth. "I'm tired of the excuses Adam!"

"i'm telling you Blake, people getting hurt is just what's going to happen till we get our way!" Adam yelled at her.

"And I'm telling you, Adam that no one has to die, that we can resolve things without any lives lost on either side!" Blake spat back.

"Blake... I..." Adam looked down. "Look, I didn't mean that. I just... I hate it when we lose people too, you know." he put a hand on her cheek as a tear streamed down her face.

"I know you do, but then you tell me stuff like how you wish that more humans died than our people." Blake moved his hand away.

"Only because I think our people are better." Adam grit his teeth.

"We're not any better than them if we allow them to be right about us." Blake looked down.

"Well then, why don't you just run away? Run away from it all and abandon the cause like your parents." Adam turned away from her sadly now.

"W-What?! No... I... I would never abandon the White Fang..." Blake stated. "I just..."

"Shh... It's okay, Blake. As long as I've got you, we'll do just fine." Adam assured her with a warm smile that made her blush slightly.

She turned away from him. "I need some fresh air."

"Don't be out too late, Blake. We have missions to attend to." he told her as she exited the tent.

She walked to outside of the encampment and into the forests of Forever Fall. There she stopped in a clearing. "Is he...No, am I.. Am I wrong?" she looked up towards the sky.

* * *

Blake sprang awake on her cot and immediately walked back out to the ship's deck. The captain noticed her reaction upon finishing a bottle of cola and followed her out.

Blake leaned on the balcony and looked out towards the sea, the moving waves, almost calming her.

"Excuse me, Ma'am." the captain approached as Blake turned around fearfully and grasped onto her weapon.

The captain put his hands up in surrender. "H-Hey, I just want to check on you." the man assured.

Blake lowered her guard. "I'm sorry. I've just gone through a lot lately." she confessed.

"I see. Well, as the captain of the SS Pride, I've made it my duty to ensure that all of my passengers are in high spirits as you are aware of what negativity might bring us." he pointed out.

"Yeah... I was a student at Beacon." she nodded.

"So you should know better than anyone." The captain affirmed.

"Of course. How could I be so stupid." Blake shook her head.

"Hey now, talk like that isn't going to lighten your spirits." The captain shook his head. "I mean hey, you should be looking forward to this trip." The captain chuckled a little, leaning on the railing next to her, slightly scratching his bushy beard now. "I'm sure in Menagerie you'll find plenty of your kind to mingle with."

Blake turned towards the captain and scowled before walking off to the bow on the deck. "Was it something I said?" he asked, confused as he then sighed before going back into the ship.

Blake leaned onto the railing again but found herself plagued with more thoughts, this time she could clearly hear the voices in her head.

_"Blake, please come and stay with us at home."_ the voice of a woman stated.  
_  
"Yes sweetie, we only want to look out for you till you're truly ready to make up your mind."_ the voice of a man tried to assure.

_"Adam was right! The both of you **are** cowards!"_ the voice of a younger Blake argued back._ "You'd rather sit around here and abandon the cause! I'm going out there and I'm going to make a difference for our people! Something you were never able to do, DAD!"_

_"Blake..."_ her father stopped.  
_  
"I AM ready to make my mind up! And I'm going with Adam! We're going to change the world together, just like he wants!"_

_"Blake wait!"_ the voices of her parents grew fainter in her head.

"Maybe I was wrong back then..." Blake admitted.

She stared out at the sea for what felt like an eternity in her mind, till something that she suspected earlier was confirmed true.

Blake took a deep breath as the cloaked figure stood behind her now, out in the open.

"Did Adam send you?!" she aimed her weapon at them as the cloaked figure took a step back, a slight smile forming on their mostly obscured face.

Right before Blake could press more for answers, the ship shook and a shadow loomed overhead diverting the attention of everyone on the ship, including Blake as her eyes went wide and her ears raised up. "Oh no..."

* * *

**Commentary**: Blake's first chapter! This is mainly a flashback centered chapter, with various bits of Blake's past and her history of abuse with Adam, not to mention her growing paranoia. I did also have the Captain screw up a little when talking with her because ignorant old people are ignorant.


	4. Chapter 4: Dimmed Fire

The doors to a grocery store called _Once upon a Grocery_ opened up and out of them stepped Yang Xiao Long, she looked as disheveled as ever, her hair tied up in a ponytail, a tan jacket with an orange tank top and a bulky pair of cargo pants. She carried a bag of groceries in her one hand and walked towards the parked motorcycle in the parking lot, dumping her groceries into the side car before suddenly something hit her from behind. It was a rock.

She glanced around her, wondering where it came from, a couple of other people in the parking lot, ducked their heads or hastened their walking to and from their vehicles.

She stopped as her breathing ceased and her hand started shaking when a voice yelled out at her.

"TAKE THAT YOU MONSTER!"

She turned to see who said that and it was a child and his father. The young boy picked up another rock and threw it at her, she raised her arm to try and block it, but was hit in the face by the rock, making her stagger back.

"You were trained to beat up people by Ozpin!" the father yelled. "What happened to Beacon is your fault! My son doesn't have a mother because of you!"

Yang just let out a sigh as another rock was thrown her way and sat down on Bumblebee upon starting it up.

"Listen, buddy. We all lost something at Beacon." Yang stated flatly as she backed out of her spot. "If you think blaming me for what happened there is going to make you feel better, do it then." she sighed. "But do keep it exclusively verbal." she glared now.

The man took a step back in slight fear of her with his son as she drove off, it was thankfully a fairly short drive for her as she parked Bumblebee right out in front of the house. The back tire flattened and she let out an exhausted sigh.

* * *

Yang sat on the couch now with a remote in her hand. She started flipping through various news channels.

_"Devastation at Beacon"_ one news report read.

She flipped past some random cartoon involving two idiot super heroes, one clad in green and the other clad in blue, red and white.

She stopped on another news report and her eyes widened at the picture shown. She instinctively hit the record button.

"In other news, Infamous White Fang Leader, Adam Taurus is still at large, Taurus has managed to evade authorities for years now and some believe him to be in Mistral-"

Yang turned the TV off and took a deep breath, rubbing her temple before putting the remote down on the table beside the couch. She then stopped upon seeing a book. It was Blake's copy of "The Man with Two Souls".

She slowly started to reach for it, but stopped the moment knocking was heard at the door.

Yang immediately heard slashes, the sounds of bullets firing and screaming in her head before she looked towards the door.

She took a heavy breath and approached the door, peering into the peeping hole to see who it was.

She opened the door to be greeted by Alix, whom was holding a small bouquet of sunflowers. "Hey, I got more of these for you, I know how much you like these and your father told me the ones you had before had all wilted."

"Hey Alix." Yang greeted plainly, not even responding to everything else he said.

"Um where can I put these?" he asked.

"The vase next to the couch." she stated before sitting back down.

Alix went to go put the flowers in the vase and sat himself down next to her, looking in her direction, wondering if he should speak up in any way.

The air remained silent before Alix finally broke the silence. "So... My teammates have been staying at my family's Inn ever since Beacon. They're trying to decide where to go next. Erika wants to go to Haven, Ember wants Atlas and Cyrus wants Shade. I don't know which one I want to go to." he confessed, shaking his head, Yang still remained silent.

"Look, Yang I know things are horrible and just about everyone you knew hates you now, but I'm still here, your father is too and we believe you're innocent." he argued.

"It doesn't matter." Yang leaned back.

"I know, everyone's made up their minds. But that doesn't mean you just have to sit idly by and take it!" Alix glared.

"Alix, I understand you care about me, but there's really nothing that can be done with that. Unless it's made public knowledge I was framed during the tournament, everyone is still going to look at me like I'm the monster Cinder painted me as." Yang explained.

"Well what if we took down a big criminal together? That'd clear your name, right? We could take that guy that took your arm." he argued, green hues staring at her lilac. "I found out his name, it's-"

"Adam Taurus." Yang cut him off. "I saw on the news just before you got here." Yang shook her head, looking down now..

"Well, we can get back at him for all he did to us back at Beacon." Alix smirked, holding up his cracked dagger. "C'mon, we can clear your name and get revenge!"

Yang was visibly shaking now as the memories came rushing back to her again.

"Yang!" Alix put his hand on her shoulder before the door opened and Taiyang entered the house. "Mr. Xiao Long! It's Yang, she's having another episode!"

"Take this stuff and put it down." Taiyang instructed as several large boxes were handed off to Alix as he then went over to Yang and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yang." he stated plainly as Yang was starting to regain her composure.

"Dad." Yang took a deep breath and looked up to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright, Alix. I just- You know I'm weak these days." Yang looked away.

"Yang." Alix looked down and grit his teeth slightly. "Mr. Xiao Long. I'd like to offer my assistance with dinner tonight!"

"Uh. Sure thing." Taiyang scratched the back of his head.

"Great!" Alix went off to start gathering ingredients in the kitchen.

"Well at least you still have some friends." Taiyang smiled to his daughter before he then remembered something. "Oh! Hold up a second!" he took the box on top of the stack of boxes and mail down and placed it in front of her on the table.

"This is?" Yang seemed perplexed, it had Atlas's symbol on it.

The box was opened and Yang's eyes went wide as she stood up.

"I know right?! This is top of the line, Atlas-Tech. You can be back on your feet with this in no time!" Taiyang smiled as Yang looked to the prosthetic arm in the box.

"I... Did you buy this?" Yang asked.

"No, General Ironwood sent this over, commending your bravery." he explained. "Also as an apology for what happened with the tournament."

"I see." Yang looked down towards the arm.

"Well? What're you waiting for? Why don't you try it on?" Taiyang seemed a bit eager.

Yang took a deep breath. "I'm just used to this now, you know?" she confessed, looking down at her one arm. "Maybe later." she walked off.

"Oh. Okay." the father let out a sigh as Yang walked outside to do some chores.

* * *

Yang got to work, sweeping the front deck, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead as she finished before moving to dust the shelves inside of the house.

She finished that in relatively quick time as well before she got a spray bottle and held a towel under her armpit, walking out towards the mail box. On the mailbox was a load of words and rude things written on it, as well as a few scratches and dents, Yang couldn't do much about the dents and scratches, but she at least could erase the words. The words were calling her all sorts of things, "Monster", "Murderer", "Pawn". She was used to it all at this point.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead again she turned around to start making her way inside when suddenly she was shoved to the ground abruptly and turned around to see who it was.

She got brief flashes to Beacon but calmed herself as the person looking down on her was an ex friend of her's, Beatrix Poppy, her curly blonde hair bringing back memories of old birthdays and the many times they styled each other's hair.

"Beatrix... I haven't seen you since Signal." Yang sat up.

"Honestly, it's pathetic looking at you now." Beatrix scoffed.

"i know I'm pathetic." Yang looked away from her.

"The one arm look is a real improvement for you." she spat on Yang angrily. "My brother wanted to become a huntsman!" she yelled, gritting her teeth. "But now he's too scared of dying, I'm glad I'm not your friend anymore, you selfish piece of trash! I bet you helped staging what happened at Beacon! I always knew something was off about you!" Beatrix kept ranting on and on.

"..." Yang simply narrowed her eyes and stood up again, turning away as more profanities and insults were being hurled in her direction. But she more or less let those sink into the abyss of apathy she was feeling.

Alix let out a sigh from inside the house as he finished cutting the vegetables. "I can't stand seeing her like this, Mr. Xiao Long." he admitted. "I want to help her, but I just don't know how."

"Just be there, be there for her like I am." Taiyang assured. "What she needs now is more than just her Dad to watch over her. What she needs right now is a friend and a push in the right direction. I just... I wish I knew where I could find that push."

"I do too..." Alix sighed as Yang entered the house, the door slamming behind her.

* * *

**Commentary**: Yang's first chapter and yep... She's at rock bottom right now. People hate her and partially blame her for what happened at Beacon, most of her old friends hate her and she hates herself. Yeah, this is honestly the arc where Alix becomes a supporting/secondary character. He's mainly there to help Yang get back to her feet again. I don't mind her dynamic with Taiyang, in fact that dynamic is mostly left in tact here. Alix is mainly here as just secondary support for her while she recovers. Which, she's unmotivated and completely defeated now, but we'll see her call to action soon enough. Next chapter, we check back in with RNJR!


	5. Chapter 5: Devastation

"How much longer is this going to be?!" Nora whined as she leaned on her horse.

"Not too much longer, I think-" Jaune looked up from his map. "What happened?!"

a plume of smoke was rising just ahead of where the team was going.

Ruby nodded to the team as she and her horse went ahead of the team, towards the smoke plume. Sure enough, it was Shion village, or rather what was left of it.

The team quickly dismounted their horses and went to investigate, weapons drawn out.

The team stayed in groups of two, with Ren and Ruby walking through the wreckage of a building, and Nora with Jaune, walking through the town square.

"Hey guys I see someone!" Jaune called out as everyone converged on him.

A man leaned against a wall, clutching a gaping wound in his chest as the team approached him.

"Hey!" Ruby ran over to him and knelt down in front of him. "What happened here?"

"Bandits... An entire tribe of them... They showed up, destroyed and stole all they could want and then... Their destruction attracted Grimm that..." he trailed off for a moment and coughed up blood now. "The grimm finished what the bandits couldn't. But I'll never forget what I saw in the brief moment I had to fight. The bandits... Their leader. She wore a mask."

"She?" Jaune tilted his head.

The huntsman was now struggling to breathe.

"Hey, easy now! Ren, do we have anything on our horses that could help him?" Nora asked as Ren took a step back but then Ruby raised a hand up, halting him.

Ren put a hand to the man's neck and looked down. "He's gone."

"Dammit!" Jaune grit his teeth. "Why couldn't we have been faster?!"

"Jaune." Nora put a hand on his shoulder but he stormed off.

"Come on guys, we'll go to the next village ahead. I'm sure they might know where we could go to get to Mistral. It's clear the train isn't an option now." Jaune stated as he got onto his horse and the group started towards the village's exit on the opposite end from where they came in.

Ruby went to get on her horse but as Ren started to make his way over he froze looking at a mark in the ground.

"Ren?" Nora looked over to see what he was looking at and she now held a hand over her mouth as well, in shock. It appeared to be a giant hoof-print, three times the size of their own horses' hoof-prints.

* * *

In the Evernight Castle, Mercury stood by the window, watching as more Grimm were birthed out from the puddles of black liquid. He felt disturbed, yet he couldn't make himself look away from it.

Back by the meeting room table, Salem and Cinder sat, with Emerald standing by Cinder's side.

Cinder grasped at her hidden arm as it was causing her pain.

"Remember, you control it. Not the other way around. If you want this to go smoother, you need to make it fear you." Salem instructed.

Cinder was gagging on her blood in her throat, but held her arm up. However it wouldn't hold for long as it soon went limp again.

"You're progressing quickly, I predict at the pace you're going you'll be fully recovered come the end of the month." Salem assured her. "Now then, you do seem as though you are troubled by something. I permit the girl to ask for you." Salem raised her arm up.

Emerald knelt down slightly to Cinder's height and Cinder whispered into her ear with her raspy voice. "She wants to know if you've found the relic yet."

"The Beacon relic?" Salem asked. "Not yet, i'm afraid." she let out a sigh. "But with how my Grimm have been scouring the Beacon Campus, they'll find it in a matter of time. Although there is the possibility Ozpin may have been able to pull one over us. Which if that's the case... We'll just have to wait."

Cinder looked down before glaring back in Salem's direction.

"Ah, so you think you're ready to try again? Well then, go on ahead, Cinder." she smirked.

Cinder grit her teeth, raising her sleeved arm up again slightly.

* * *

"Do you believe in destiny?"

"Yes."

The sounds of an arrow firing and hitting something followed by gasping were heard as Ruby sprang awake, gasping for air and looking around.

She saw Ren and Nora asleep next to the camp fire with Nora curled up into a ball and Ren lying flat. But oddly enough Jaune was nowhere to be found.

Ruby sat herself up and looked up towards the night sky. Fireflies were buzzing all around providing a sort of calm and soothing light as Ruby walked around the small encampment, looking for Jaune. The team had decided to stop in this clearing after traveling a respectable distance away from Shion village's ruins. Their horses all stood to the side of the camp and their supply bags were all laid out where they were sleeping.

"Jaune?" Ruby quietly called out, in search of him before she heard the sounds of a swinging blade and effort. She ducked behind a bush and spotted him.

Jaune panted heavily as he looked back to his scroll.

"Remember, Jaune. Keep your stance firm. Not too firm." Pyrrha's voice instructed. "Now, when you swing, be sure to put your back into it, but don't swing with too much force otherwise if you miss you'll trip."

Jaune swung with the amount of force that was instructed, repeating several times in several ways before practicing his stabbing.

"Jaune, i know you think you're hopeless and that you feel like you'll never be as good as everyone else. But you are so much better than you think of yourself. I skipped the aura part of this recording since I know you're not really one to practice it and I feel like we'd have an easier time going over it in person." Pyrrha explained with a smile. "Keep working hard Jaune, and I know you'll one day be better than even me."

Jaune walked back over to his scroll and started the recording over again before getting his stance ready, a tear trickling down his face as he did so.

Ruby looked down and reached into her pocket. She held an unfurled pink ribbon in her hand.

"Y-You promise you're my friend?" Penny's voice asked Ruby in her head.

"Penny... Of course." Ruby muttered under her breath as she held the bow up to her forehead and grit her teeth, sobbing into it, leaning against the tree.

* * *

The next morning Team RNJR, still riding on their horses neared a village now. "Say guys? What's the name of this village?" Nora asked.

"Higanba-Higan-bane-a?" Ruby was confused and scratching her head as she couldn't fully make the name out on her map.

"It's Higanbana." Ren corrected.

"R-Right!" Ruby nodded. "Higan-bana!" Ruby exclaimed, still getting it wrong.

"You know, I was really expecting a lot more Grimm in our way after Shion. But I guess they must have all left. Maybe went after the bandits?" Jaune remarked.

"They could have." Ren nodded. "But even then, I feel like something would have noticed us along the way."

"Well I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth!" Nora remarked.

"Nora, with all due respect you looked a gift horse in the mouth the other day." Jaune noted.

"Only because it looked at me funny! But we're best buddies now, aren't we?!" Nora laughed as she pat it and it snorted. "That means, yes."

"I can't wait to have an actual bath again." Ruby let out an exhausted sigh as the team neared the village entrance.

On a cliff Overlooking the village a Beowolf stood, ready to launch itself off the cliff and at the team, however before it could do so, a large sword stabbed right through it's body and it disintegrated. Qrow let out an exhausted sigh as he took his sword out of it's back and watched the four.

A raven flew by him and his eyes narrowed as he then leaped off the cliff and a crow followed after the raven into Higanbana...

* * *

**Commentary**: Another shorter chapter. This one more of a slow burning one than the last. Made a couple of changes to the scenes here. Like Ruby actually mourning for Penny here when she didn't at all in the show even once.


	6. Chapter 6: Inspiration

Light blue eyes slowly opened as Weiss looked down onto her paper that she was writing out the lyrics for her new song on. She still had nothing. "If the memories of my friends aren't inspiring me... I don't know what is." she wiped the sleep from her eyes before standing up and taking a deep breath. "Whitley means well... He just wants to help. i mean honestly, I'm surprised he isn't resentful of me for leaving him like Winter. Okay, Weiss." she turned towards the door and was ready to march out to Whitley's room to take him up on his offer, but was surprised when she saw him standing right outside her door, ready to knock.

"Ah, sister!" Whitley greeted. "I was just about to ask for you." he chuckled a little.

"Whitley, I was wondering if I could still take you up on that meal offer? I'm having some trouble finding inspiration for my music." she confessed.

"Well, ask and you shall receive, my dear sister!" Whitley smiled. "Come now, I'll have seats reserved for us right away!" he lead her along with him.

A slight smirk was forming on his face as he strung his sister along.

* * *

"I thought you said we were going to a diner, Whitley. This is a club." Weiss looked around before they were seated at a table already prepared with food.

"It is." Whitley chuckled, now taking his seat. "What? You surprised that I can actually have fun?"

"Not particularly, but I just didn't take you for this type of establishment." Weiss saw a stage.

"Well this isn't like most other clubs, this is a very high end place of course. We only get the best performers in Remnant on this stage."

"Is this where I'm going to perform the concert?" Weiss asked. "I could have sworn it was going to be at home..."

"Oh, it will be at home. But I just figured i showed you one of the venues you may be going to afterwards." Whitley reasoned.

"That's nice of you to do, Whitley. But, I still don't think I want to go back into music as my only field." she looked away from him and down at her food.

"What's the matter, Weiss? Is the food not to your liking?" he asked her with a hint of worry in his tone.

"No, it's not that... I just..."

"Oh, i think I get it, you were so used to the commoner's life that you crave for that food! You do know it's more unhealthy, right?" Whitley crossed his arms.

"No, it's just that I don't feel like this is getting me anywhere with my music." Weiss let out a sigh.

"Well what inspires you? Or maybe what internal struggle are you dealing with?" Whitley asked, hoping to get some sort of response from her.

"I don't really know. I feel like I'm drawing up blanks." she confessed as she ate a forkful of food before something caught the corner of her eye. Her eyes lit up again suddenly as she stood up.

"Hey!" Weiss called out and walked over to a couple of Atlas academy students.

"Huh?" the dark skinned male turned around and then smiled. "Well if I live and breathe, Weiss Schnee, so glad to see you again!" Flynt Coal smiled at her as the girl he was with also smiled to her and took her hand.

"OH EM GEE! Weiss! it's been like..." she spaced out for a moment.

"6 months." Weiss stated.

"6 months since we last met?! We have so much catching up to do!" Neon jumped up and was shaking Weiss's arm now, her tail was swishing from side-to-side.

"Um, Neon-" Flynt pointed to her tail that was now out of where she was keeping it hidden.

"Oh um..." Neon was laughing nervously as the bartender shook his head and pointed to the No Faunus sign above the bar.

"Hey now! Neon's a friend of mine and a student of the prestigious Atlas Academy!" Weiss stepped forward.

"Well if she's a student for Atlas, surely they can feed her the pet food she needs." the bartender scoffed as Weiss glared.

Whitley couldn't hold back a slight chuckle as Weiss turned in his direction, resulting in him struggling to hide it more.

"It's fine, Weiss. I'll go. I know when people aren't fun." Neon shrugged.

"Enjoy your meal, we'll be going elsewhere." Flynt scoffed in annoyance as he took Neon by the hand and started towards the door.

Just as the pair had exited the bar, Weiss ran and caught up with them outside. "Hey wait up!" Weiss called out as the pair turned over towards her. "I'm sorry about what happened in there." Weiss apologized.

"Hey, there's no need to apologize, Schnee." Flynt assured her with a smirk. "Our beef's with that no good bartender, not you. Honestly, it was pretty cool how you stuck up for Neon back there." he pulled his hat seemingly from nowhere and put it on his head.

"Yeah, like you were all like 'Neon's a friend of mine!' I-Is that true?! Am I really a friend of yours?!" Neon asked, leaning forward eagerly.

Weiss leaned back slightly, wondering if this is how Ruby felt with Penny. "Um... Sure." Weiss held a hand up in a shrugging motion.

"OH MY GOSH! FLYNT! I JUST BECAME BEST FRIENDS WITH WEISS SCHNEE!" Neon laughed as she now suddenly had her roller blades on again and was starting to skate around Weiss.

"Not, best friends. T-That role's... Already spoken for." Weiss corrected.

"Give it time! I'll be your bestie, better than the restie!" Neon laughed while skating on ahead in the direction of Atlas Academy.

"So... Weiss, why don't you go with us to Atlas?" Flynt asked. "There's plenty of space there and I know plenty of teams that would love to have Weiss Schnee among their ranks! I mean especially FNKI... Although I'm not sure how our name would work with a W thrown into the mix... But I'm sure we'd make it work somehow. " he chuckled.

"T-Thanks for the offer, Flynt. I'm honestly really glad I've ran into you again. But..." she looked back towards the club where Whitley stood by the door with his arms crossed.

"My family... They won't let me be a huntress anymore." she let out a sigh.

"I see." Flynt lowered his hat slightly. "Damn shame too, because I could tell from our one fight that honestly you belong more as a huntress than you do as a rich snob." he chuckled.

"Say Flynt. You're a musician yourself, aren't you?" Weiss asked.

"I am. Why? Want me to do a concert?" he smirked, now with his trumpet in hand.

"Well actually, I just wanted some advice. F-From one musician to another. Now I know singing isn't the same as playing the trumpet... But I'm sure you've had a similar frustration. What do you do when you really need to write something, but can't find any inspiration? There's just so much pressure on you to have something out and you just have so little time to even think on it." Weiss asked, looking down.

"Sounds like you really got your hands full..." Flynt tipped his hat up slightly. "Whenever I hit a roadblock sometimes I just think about the source of all my frustrations and I write with that in mind. It's definitely lead to some... Interesting tunes." he chuckled.

"Thanks. I'm performing a charity concert next week." Weiss explained. "It's to raise money for Vale. My father pressured me into doing this, but if there's even a chance it will help my friends back in Vale then I have to do this."

"That's... Real noble of you, Weiss." Flynt complimented. "I wish there was something I could do to help you get into Atlas, or at least out to Mistral or Shade even."

"Well, if you want, you can hopefully catch my song at some point. Maybe I'll even sing it for your team after I finish it." she offered as Flynt's scroll rang.

"Oh dammit Neon, again?!"

"What happened now?" Weiss asked.

"Oh nothing, Neon's just crashed into another pedestrian. I gotta go make sure no one's hurt too seriously." Flynt ran off.

Weiss just smiled slightly. For the first time in months, Weiss felt comfortable around a person, and it was someone she had only met one time previously.

She turned back towards the club and took a deep breath.

* * *

Weiss would stay awake for the next several nights, writing, throwing away scraps of paper till she finally had it written out in it's entirety.

The title of the song was simple, yet meaningful to her and her alone.

**This Life is Mine**

"This'll probably get me in trouble with father but honestly? What's he gonna do? Cause a scene?" she scoffed as she then finally made one last adjustment to her look, for the past several months, her ponytail had been centered like her father wanted. But she knew, if she was going to make any statement at all and if she was going to truly be in line with this performance that she'd have to move it to her preferred side ponytail.

She finished adjusting her hair as Klein came over with the makeup kit. She declined the offer and stood up.

"You look stunning Madame." Klein complimented her.

"Thank you, Klein." Weiss smiled. "This song... This song means a lot to me, and I kind of have the feeling you'll appreciate it a bit too."

"I'm sure I'll love it regardless." Klein affirmed as Weiss stood by the doorway, waiting for her cue to come up onto stage.

* * *

The auditorium was full, many rich and upper class Atlesian officials and family's sat all around, with Jacques Schnee and Whitley sitting in a skybox just to the side of the stage and General Ironwood sitting in the opposite skybox. Jacques shot a slight glare in the General's direction.

"Would the audience please put their hands together for, Weiss Schnee." the presenter announced as the audience applauded while the curtains parted, revealing Weiss standing center stage, her ponytail was off to the side like she wanted it. Jacques narrowed his eyes slightly but kept a calm demeanor.

As soon as the applauds stopped, the music started.

_Mirror, can you hear me?  
Do I reach you?  
Are you even listening?  
Can I get through?_

Weiss closed her eyes as she sang this first stanza, clearly in remembrance of something.

_There's a part of me that's desperate for changes,  
Tired of being treated like a pawn.  
But there's a part of me that stares back from inside the mirror,  
Part of me that's scared I might be wrong,  
That I can't be strong._

The auditorium was silent now as Weiss finally opened her eyes while she sang the next long note, holding it for a good several seconds before she continued

_I've been afraid,  
Never standing on my own,  
I let you be the keeper of my pride,  
Believed you when you told me I was nothing on my own,  
Listen when I say,  
I swear it here today,  
I will not surrender,  
This Life is Mine!  
_  
Weiss finished as the audience applauded, Jacques was now gritting his teeth while Whitley, glanced over and smiled in his father's direction, applauding with the crowd as Jacques' gaze was clearly fixated on his daughter, the heiress of company.

* * *

**Commentary**: So, Weiss takes her brother's offer up, we get some interaction with Neon and Flynt. and Weiss finally has her song idea together. I will just say this song is one I use a lot more of than just here... By that I mean I use it like one other time and it is not in Volume 5...


	7. Chapter 7: The Morning Sun

"By the Gods..." The captain of the SS Pride raised his hat as he looked up at the beast that had found his ship, it was a massive Sea-Feilong Grimm.

Blake immediately turned her attention to the beast and opened fire, the shots doing little more than tickle it's scales as it now reeled it's head back, charging up an orb of electricity from it's mouth.

"Sorry to do this." a voice familiar to Blake stated as the cloaked figure jumped up, using Blake's shoulder to boost himself upward as the cloak slipped off his body revealing Sun, he slammed his staff downwards onto the Sea Feilong's head, making it's beam attack miss the ship as it only hit the water below.

"Sun?!" Blake was surprised to see him as Sun now stood atop the Grimm's head and slammed his staff down onto it again, causing the beast to wail out in pain.

The Captain peered his head out of the pilot's cabin. "Young Huntsmen! We need your assistance! Our ship's cannons need a moment to start up. Can you distract the beast till then?!"

"Sure!" Blake assured as she then swung Gambol Shroud around in it's Kusarigama form as the beast attempted to shake Sun off of it's head.

Gambol Shroud stabbed into the side of it's long body as it now yelled out in pain, dragging Blake along with it, the girl managing to catch herself and swing herself up onto the Grimm's head as Sun was struggling to hold on for dear life.

"What are you doing here Sun?!" she demanded as she grasped onto a couple of loose scales.

"C-CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT LATER?!" Sun asked. "WHEN WE'RE NOT ABOUT TO DIE?!"

Blake's grip gave out and she slammed right into Sun, the pair falling back onto the SS Pride as the ship's cannons started opening fire on the Grimm, causing it to dive down into the water.

"I-Is it taken care of?" Sun asked.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." the captain noted as the ship shook more Violently, slightly tipping as the Sea Feilong rose out of the water with two large wings protruding from it's back now.

"IT CAN FLY?!" Sun held his hands over his head in a panic as Blake fired shots out from Gambol Shroud at it again, one of her bullets ripping through it's wing.

"Sun, get all the passengers inside the ship!" Blake instructed as Sun nodded and started helping the passengers of the ship get inside.

"It's wings aren't sturdy!" she turned towards the Captain who went back inside and had his cannons start redirecting fire towards the Grimm's wings, however, they all were starting to miss as it flew around and was now charging up it's next attack.

As soon as the Cannons had a clear line of fire at the beast's wings, it fired out an electric attack, Blake and Sun were barely able to dodge out of the way of this attack, Sun notably taking part of the hit as his right side was sparking slightly. The attack disabled all of the ship's defenses.

"Dammit! We're sitting ducks out here now!" the captain swore as Blake kept firing on the dragon.

"Captain." his first mate approached. "Do the ships engines still work?" she asked.

"Of course! They do! Brilliant thinking!" the elderly man nodded. "Hunters! Can you lure that beast away from the ship? We need ramming distance! We also need it's wings clipped."

"Blake?" Sun turned to her.

"Right." she nodded to him as he ran up towards the top of the ship.

_Go where you need to_

Blake threw Gambol Shroud to him and jumped.

_Know I won't leave you  
I'll follow you like morning follows Night!_

At the same time Sun activated his semblance and with two clones of himself, started to spin Blake around before letting go, his aura shattering from the effort as Blake flew right in the direction of the Grimm.

_You can run till your pain's through,  
But one thing I won't do,  
Is to let you go alone to face the fight!_

Blake sliced clean through the Sea Feilong's wing as she then hooked Gambol Shroud onto it's back and pulled herself back towards it, this time running down it's wing while she slid her blade along it, finally clipping it as she then fell towards some large rocks sticking out of the water.

Sun, however stood ready where she was and caught her. "No thanks owed!~" Sun chuckled sheepishly as the Sea Feilong landed in the water and let out a roar before starting to swim after them.

The two leaped from rock to rock, dodging any electricity breath attacks it fired out before the two then reached a dead end and found themselves cornered by the Dragon as it charged up another attack.

Sun put himself in front of Blake.

"Sun no!" Blake panicked when suddenly the SS Pride Slammed through the Sea Feilong's body, impaling it on the rock while the two young huntsmen jumped out of the way with Blake taking Sun's hand and using Gambol Shroud to pull herself back towards the SS Pride to watch as the beast Disintegrated, having been killed from the ramming.

"That sure was a close one, wasn't it?" Sun chuckled sheepishly while Blake glared back at him.

* * *

Hazel Rainart entered a dimly lit room and looked around, his eyes narrowed slightly as something was clearly off. "Adam Taurus." he called out calmly. "I'm here looking for Adam Taurus." he stated again. "I was told I'd find him here."

A slight smirk happened upon a figure from the shadows as a red blade came down towards Hazel from his left flank. He caught it easily and stared at his attacker.

Adam pulled his sword back and chuckled. "Amazing, so your people really are the best of the best." he sheathed Wilt.

"Of course, our master wouldn't have asked for us otherwise." Hazel reasoned as he crossed his arms now. "So was that purely just a test for me?"

"Oh, it was." Adam confirmed. "After the results we got at Beacon, I'm more than willing to accept any help from your master. Especially if it can bring me closer to what I want for the faunus."

"What would that be?" Hazel asked.

"Superiority."

"Be careful with ambitions like that." Hazel warned. "My Master does make it a point to ensure all that work under her, bend to her will and believe me when I tell you, you will bend to her will if she so deems it."

Adam just scoffed. "And yet she sends others to do her work for her."

"There's more to it than that. Honestly, it's probably for your own safety that you don't ever meet her in person." Hazel shook his head. "Now then, about our negotiation plans with Sienna Khan."

* * *

"So why did you follow me, Sun?" Blake asked him as he was sitting on the railing of the ship as it was back to smooth sailing now.

"I saw you run off on your own and abandon everyone. I figured you'd need help for what you're going to do." Sun reasoned.

"What do you think I'm planning on doing?" she asked.

"Um... Taking the White Fang, head on? You are going to Menagerie, no doubt one of their strongholds, so I figured you could use all the help you can get! I wanted my team to come along with me... But Neptune didn't want to come on the boat, and Scarlet and Sage wouldn't go either. The three of them went off to go back to Haven. So, it's just you and me... Me and you? You and I?" Sun was blabbering a bit at this point.

"That's not what I'm doing at all Sun." Blake shook her head. "I just... I'm going home." Blake explained.

"Home?" Sun tilted his head. "You're from Menagerie?"

"Yes." Blake took a deep breath. "My parents are still there. Although, I didn't exactly leave them on the best terms."

Sun now hopped off of the railing and put his arm around Blake's shoulder. "Well, if any sort of White Fang activity comes up, you can count on me to help you and report it to you!" he grinned.

"I... Just go home Sun." she shook her head.

"Go home? Why? I'm already on the boat with you, and in the case of anything coming up I'd be able to help you out!" he argued.

"You honestly wouldn't understand." Blake walked away from him.

"Hey, Blake wait!" Sun ran after her. "C'mon, we're on this boat together, I really want to help you in any way I can."

"If you want to help, then go home, be a decent leader for your team and don't butt into other people's business like this."

"Blake, please don't shut me out. Come on! We can find that creep that hurt Yang and take him on together! That's what this is about, right?" Sun asked.

Blake just furrowed her eyebrows. "Look, Sun. I know you mean well... But I need space, I came out all this way because of needing space." she put a hand on his shoulder now. "I promise we'll talk more once we get to Menagerie. You can at least tag along with me for the time I suppose."

"Awesome! I promise to not be intrusive or annoying!" he saluted, which made Blake laugh a little.

"Honestly, that sounds like a challenge for you." Blake rolled her eyes, maybe having at least one friend along wouldn't be too terrible.

"You did bring up a good point, Sun." Blake stated as she turned away from him. "There likely is some active White Fang around Menagerie. If you want to help me... Then when we get there, keep an eye out for them and anything suspicious. Tell me immediately if anything comes up."

"You can count on me, Blake!" Sun laughed a bit awkwardly before Blake went back inside of the ship.

* * *

The next several days of the trip would go relatively smoothly, with Blake either sleeping, staring out at the ocean or just munching on some food. Sun spent more of his time mingling with the passengers and joking around with them.

A horn would sound as everyone inside stepped out to finally see a landmass closing in, on the distance.

"Whoa, where's that?" Sun asked, looking over to Blake. "Is that where we're going?"

"That would be Menagerie." Blake confirmed.

* * *

**Commentary**: Alright so one notable difference here is Blake not being as harsh to Sun as she was in the show. She didn't get physical with him here. She was still reasonably upset at him for following her. Sun means well, but he's also a goofball that doesn't full understand boundaries. Also an added scene of Hazel meeting with Adam.


	8. Chapter 8: Striking the Match

The smell of freshly cooked food permeated the air of the Xiao Long household as Alix finished making his last touches onto the broth he was making. Taiyang had finished up the noodles and preparing all the meats and ingredients on the side.

Yang yawned as she stepped down the stairs and walked right towards the kitchen. "What's that good smell? Dinner?" she asked.

"You know it." Alix grinned sheepishly as he grabbed a bowl for Yang, Taiyang and himself. "I made the Celeste family's special ramen."

"It's really just a basic recipe I could probably find if I looked up." Taiyang reasoned with a shrug. "Still a good one though."

"Hey, I'll have you know that my Grandma loves this recipe a lot!" Alix pouted as he finished gathering noodles, veggies and pork before finally adding the broth to finish his bowl. He sat across from where Yang usually sat and started eating.

"You must be really hungry, huh?" Yang asked.

"Oh, no. I just really like this soup." Alix laughed as he drank some of the broth.

Taiyang and Yang were both at the table and eating. Yang was surprised at how good this soup was.

"Damn, Alix. You've been keeping this from us for this long?!" Yang asked.

"Well, I didn't learn to cook it till recently. I've sort of had the free time ever since you know..." he took a deep breath.

"Hey now, now's not the time for talk like that. How about some funny stories to brighten the mood?" Taiyang suggested.

"Oh so like you wouldn't believe Ember. She's been trying to train herself to better control her semblance, in my family's hot spring." Alix began. "Although, we're all beginning to think she's just using that as an excuse to hog the hot spring all for herself." he chuckled.

Yang stifled a slight giggle. "That sounds so like her. Tell me, is she still mad with me?"

"Oh, no. She realized Cinder was probably using all of us... She's more mad that she played right into Cinder's hand in the tournament. It's partially what's been pushing her to train more." Alix explained.

"When she's not trying to spend all her time relaxing in the hot spring." Yang added with a slight smirk on her face.

"Well yea-" the conversation would be abruptly cut short when the power in the house cut off.

"Oh dammit, not again!" Taiyang let out a sigh. "An animal must have gotten to the breaker box again." he stood up. "I'll be right back you two, you don't need to slow down your eating." he assured. "Just um... Watch where your soup drips." he noted as Alix accidentally spilled a spoonful of soup onto his lap.

"OW!" he whined as Taiyang left the room and went outside.

Alix and Yang just sat in silence, staring at each other and then around the room before they could hear something.

"So Yang-"

"Shh... Alix, I hear something." Yang stated as she listened in, hearing the sound of something rustling within the house, the sounds of doors opening and closing, cabinets opening and footsteps.

"I hear it too." Alix nodded, taking his dagger out now, gripping it tightly.

Yang followed behind Alix as she saw that everything was open and papers and other objects were scattered about in the hall.

"I don't think your Dad would create this much of a mess." Alix mused. "Do you think whatever it was that cut the power off got in here?"

"I-" before Yang could answer, from down the ceiling dropped Tyrian who laughed as he nearly landed on top of Alix.

"Who the hell are you?!" Alix demanded as the man tackled him to the ground and held a pair of wrist mounted blades to his neck.

"Where's Ruby Rose?!" he demanded as Alix struggled to free himself, his dagger still clutched tightly in his hand.

"I wouldn't if I were you boy. I doubt your weapon can touch me before mine can touch you. Although if you want to play I'd be more than happy!" he laughed as Alix struggled more and he looked up towards Yang.

It was happening again in her head, she saw Adam standing over the downed Blake. She had both of her arms again and Adam was just smiling at her before suddenly she was snapped back into reality.

"I don't know where she is!" Yang called out. "Just let him go!"

"Oh? And what're you going to do if I don't?!" Tyrian taunted.

"I.. I'll..." Yang was hesitating even more than before, she didn't have Ember Celica on at all, and she couldn't take him head on as she was.

Thankfully, it was at this moment that the lights turned on again and the door slammed open, Taiyang charged at Tyrian from behind, who barely had any time to react as he threw Tyrian off of Alix.

"Get the hell out of my house!" Taiyang demanded as he threw a punch at Tyrian, who blocked it with a raised arm, trying to counter with his other, but Taiyang blocked that as well.

"Not till you tell me where Ruby Rose is!" he demanded with his sinister smile still on his face.

"There's no chance in hell I'd tell you, even if I did know." Taiyang was starting to win the struggle as Alix rushed in, activating the dust in his dagger and created a wind vortex that flung Tyrian across the living room, slamming him into a drawer.

"I will pay for any damages to that." Alix assured as Taiyang briefly glanced at him before walking towards Tyrian now.

Tyrian stood himself back up, laughing now as he held a sheet of paper in his hand.

Taiyang's eyes went wide as he realized what it was.

"Dear Dad, my friends and I are going to look for some answers at Haven. Please don't be mad at me for leaving, love Ruby." Tyrian read aloud in a mocking voice before he resumed laughing maniacally.

"Haven?" Tyrian laughed. "I reckon she probably hasn't even gotten there yet."

"Well you're not going anywhere near her!" Taiyang shouted as he threw a book in Tyrian's direction. Tyrian merely dodged to the side of it and scuttled out the door as fast as he could.

"Dammit!" Taiyang grit his teeth as Yang still stood there and looked down.

"Yang, are you okay?" Alix put a hand on her shoulder, but she shoved his hand away and stormed upstairs. "Yang..." he turned towards Taiyang.

"Mr. Xiao Long. I can pursue him." Alix stated.

"No, don't. He's way too dangerous." he shook his head. "Look, I'll let you stay over the night since there's no way it's safe out there right now."

"Thanks, Mr. Xiao Long. I'll try and help in any way I can." the younger blonde nodded as Taiyang let out a sigh, grabbing his scroll and dialing for someone.

* * *

Yang's eyes were wide as she looked around and found herself in the Beacon Cafeteria again. "W-What?!" she saw that she now had both of her arms again and she looked up. Adam was standing across the hall from her and smiling, his hair was glowing bright like when he cut her arm off.

Yang took a step back now, she had her gauntlets in her hand. Gritting her teeth she opened fire on him. All of the shots deflecting off of him as he strode forward, hand ready on his sword.

She ran out of ammo and grit her teeth now, running at him with her fist pulled back just as Adam threw his sword up into the air. He was open, she had a chance now.

However, just before she reached him, he caught his sword and spun around, slicing upwards, severing her arm yet again.

* * *

Yang woke up, gasping heavily and now looking around her room in a cold sweat. She glanced over to the side of her bed to see the prosthetic arm laid out on the table next to it, sighing before starting towards the door at the sound of chatter. Was that mysterious man back? She couldn't take any chances.

She peered out of the room and looked down the stairway.

"Sorry to tell you Tai, but we've had no luck finding the man that broke into your home." the voice of Dr. Oobleck stated.

"Yeah, no doubt he ran off in fear the moment he heard we were in town!" Port bolstered.

"Right, right. Your weapon's name is blowhard, not you." Taiyang rolled his eyes. "Look, I just... I feel like we should send someone to make sure that guy doesn't get anywhere near Ruby. I'd go but I'm too busy helping around here." he looked down. "Yang needs me, as do a lot of people around town since huntsmen are scarce around Patch right now ever since Qrow left."

"Well there's always another option." Dr. Oobleck reasoned. "I don't like the idea of sending her out as much as you do, but if there's anyone I'm certain you'd be able to trust with bringing Ruby back, it'd be her sister. Why, I remember on our mission to Mountain Glenn how diligently Yang was working to reach her sister. When that girl has a goal, she accomplishes it."

"Yes, and in my class despite her not being the most attentive of students, she still passed all my tests with flying colors." Port added.

Yang walked downstairs now and everyone turned their attention to her.

"Miss Xiao Long!" Dr. Oobleck smiled to her as she took a seat on the counter top. "So glad you could join us! We were just talking about how great you are."

"Even after... Even after what I did at Beacon?" she asked.

"We all make mistakes. What's important is that we learn from them." Dr. Oobleck reasoned to her.

"Yeah... Learn from our mistakes..." Yang held her head.

"What's wrong?" Taiyang asked.

"Another dream." she admitted.

"The same dream?"

"Yes, the one where I relive that night in excruciating detail, maybe a few things are different. But it always ends the same way. With **him** standing over me as I lay helpless on the ground." Yang explained. "You tell me you want me to go out there. But, what can I do? I'm terrified of what's out there. After tonight... After what happened at Beacon. How can I be sure Ruby's still out there at all."

"Miss Xiao Long." Dr. Oobleck put a hand on her shoulder now. "Fear is a feeling, that we all have. There's always a fear of the unknown with what each day will bring."

"Despite me seeming fearless on the outside, even I can be afraid of things." Professor Port reasoned.

"Oh really? You? Mr. Fearless Huntsman?!" Yang scoffed a bit.

"He's afraid of mice." Dr. Oobleck whispered in Yang's ear.

"They're diseased vermin that bring death wherever they come!" Port argued.

"The point is, Yang. You can either let this fear drive you, or you can take this fear and despite feeling it, stand yourself back up. It takes an incredible amount of courage to stand up again, especially in the face of fear." Dr. Oobleck stated.

"Thanks for the talk, Doc." Yang stood herself up and let out a sigh, scratching the back of her head as she took a bottle of water from the fridge and made her way back upstairs.

"We'll keep watch over the perimeter for the night in case that man comes back." Port assured. "But after that we're needed back in Vale."

"Do have some breakfast ready for us in the morning." Dr. Oobleck chuckled a bit as him and Port both made their way outside to watch over the property.

* * *

The next morning, after Taiyang saw Oobleck and Port off he decided to go see what Yang was up to, upon going into her room she wasn't there. "Yang?" he called out. "Hello?!"

Alix was rubbing the sleep from his eyes on the couch before Taiyang stepped outside and found her standing out by the front, wearing her prosthetic now.

"I'm ready to train." she smiled.

Taiyang nodded. "Alright. Let's begin."

* * *

**Commentary**: Here we have the push that motivates Yang to finally stop wallowing in self pity, a murderous psychopath threatening to go after her sister! Yeah, a bit more motivating in the original than Yang just feeling bad. We still get Yang's nightmare here, and also her fears/trauma generally showing themselves more.


	9. Chapter 9: Scorpion's Sting

Higanbana was one of the more livelier villages that the team had found themselves in with busy Inn, no doubt with refugees from the recently destroyed Shion village and just a generally warmer atmosphere than they had encountered around the rest of Anima thus far.

Team RNJR sat at a table in the lower floor of the local tavern, Nora was munching on a massive turkey drumstick while the others were content with the food they had.

"I haven't had a fresh meal like this in a while!" Ruby mused as she shoveled a spoonful of curry into her mouth.

"Thith ith the beft!" Nora exclaimed with a mouth full of food.

"Nora, what did I say about eating with your mouth full." Ren sighed as Nora swallowed her food.

"Sorry!" she laughed a bit.

Jaune was staring off out the window as he ate, seemingly a bit down.

"Hey Jaune..." Ruby tilted her head. "You'll be okay, right?"

"Who me? Y-Yeah of course! I want to get to the bottom of things too. I just... I'm still thinking about what happened at Shion. My family used to go there all the time." he let out a sigh.

"You're from around here?" Ruby was surprised.

"Yeah." Jaune's eyes lit up a bit. "One of my sisters lives in Argus. It's a city just north of Mistral." he explained.

Meanwhile, on the upper floor of the tavern, Qrow sat by himself, watching the team talking when the waitress approached him with a drink. "For you, sir." she smiled.

"Oh I didn't-"

"It's from the woman in red and black. She said you preferred bottom shelf." the waitress smiled before walking off just as that same woman approached, she looked strikingly similar to Yang except her eyes were red and her hair was black.

"Raven." Qrow sat up in his chair. "What do you want from me?"

"What? A girl can't check in on her brother?" Raven chuckled, crossing her arms.

"No, but you wouldn't be approaching me if you didn't want something, so let's cut to the chase." Qrow glared.

"Alright then. Tell me, do you know where it is?" she asked.

"Well hidden." Qrow scoffed.

"Where is it though?" she asked.

"So, tell me Rae, ever check on your daughter lately?" Qrow asked. "She's going through hell right now and honestly, maybe some guidance from her mother would do some good for her. She lost her arm, you know."

"I do know." Raven shook her head. "Where did Ozpin hide the relic?" she pressed.

"It's funny how you keep shirking the issue of your daughter aside." he drank what Raven had gotten him.

"I saved her once, like I promised I would. Is that not enough?" she scoffed.

"Real Mom of the year material, sis." Qrow rolled his eyes and reached for his drink again when Raven grasped his hand.

"I told you Beacon would fall and I told you Ozpin would fail and yet you're still following his pointless crusade. Now then, tell me where the hell the relic is. Does Salem have it?"

"Why does it suddenly matter so much to you, sis?" Qrow pulled his hand away from her grasp.

"I need to know what we're up against here." Raven insisted.

"Which 'we' do you mean?"

Raven hesitated now as she looked away from her brother.

"Come back to help us, Raven. We could beat Salem by working together." Qrow picked his drink up again. "All of us."

"You're the traitor, Qrow. The tribe raised us and yet, you're the one who abandoned your family." Raven slammed her fist on the table.

"They were a bunch of murderers and thieves." Qrow finished his drink.

"They were still your family."

"It's funny that you're the one who's lecturing me on what a family is." Qrow put the empty glass down.

"I lead our people now, Qrow." Raven stood up. "And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to ensure we survive."

"I know. The people of Shion knew too. I gotta say sis, you really dampened my travel plans with that." Qrow scoffed.

"The weak die, the strong thrive. Besides, those children you're following, I'm sure if they're as strong as you think they are, they'll make it through just fine." Raven picked her mask up off of the table.

"You certainly have someone strong on your side now, Rae. I saw the damage."

"Well, I didn't expect the Grimm to come as quickly as they did." Raven turned away.

"I'm not talking about Grimm." Qrow leaned forward now. "And I'm not talking about you either." he stood now.

"Well, I'm pretty certain we're done here." Raven reached for her sword that she had placed down flat on the table before Qrow put his hand over her's now.

"Raven, if you know where the spring maiden is. I need you to tell me, she could be what turns the tides for us." Qrow reasoned.

"Why, would I do that?" Raven jerked her hand free of Qrow's grip and grabbed her sheathed sword, clipping it to her belt again.

"We'll die without her, Raven."

"Which 'we' do you mean?" Raven spat back with a chuckle before putting her mask back on and slicing her sword through the air, creating another portal that she exited through.

Qrow furrowed his eyebrows as the waitress dropped a glass behind him, clearly shaken up a bit.

He turned around and held up his empty glass. "Double this one."

* * *

The next morning Team RNJR, after getting some directions departed from Higanbana. There wasn't another close train station, but they'd likely be able to travel the rest of the way on their horses without much issue.

"And you guys said we'd HAVE to take the train." Ruby chuckled. "I prefer the more scenic route!"

The team bickered as they left.

However not too long after they departed, a man entered the Inn at Higanbana. "Tell me if you've seen someone. I'm looking for them." Tyrian laughed.

* * *

Team RNJR came to a stop in front of the entrance gate to an abandoned town. "Another town?" Jaune asked.

"This one looks like it's been this way for a while." Ruby remarked, looking at the sign. "Oniyuri..."

"It's likely a failed settlement." Ren explained. "A lot of the upper class citizens of Mistral believed they could start their own kingdom outside the safety of Mistral's borders. I know my parents did." he looked down now.

"Ren..." Nora reached out for him.

"Just like how Vale had Mountain Glenn, Mistral had settlements like this." he finished.

"So what do we do?" Ruby asked.

"We'll cut through." Ren stated as he started ahead of the group on his horse.

There was a stillness to the air in this village as the team started to pass through on their horses.

"It's haunting." Jaune admitted.

"C'mon, the sooner we get through the sooner we don't have to think about it." Nora insisted now before Ren stopped and held his hand out towards the group.

The sounds of fast footsteps could be vaguely heard in the distance.

Ren hopped off of his horse and took both of his StormFlower guns out.

Everyone followed suit, readying their weapons.

Tyrian laughed maniacally as he stood atop of the town wall, looking down on the team. Ruby opened fire with her sniper as he launched himself forward, the tiles on the wall he stood atop shattering as he slammed into the ground right in the middle of the team.

Their horses were frantic now as they all started to run away.

"Hey wait!" Jaune called out as Tyrian's wrist bracers then unfolded a couple of blades and he made a dash straight for Ruby.

Ren charged at him and got between him and Ruby, clashing blades with him as he fired shots off that Tyrian deflected with a raised arm before slashing out at Ren with one of his arms and launching him backwards and into the town's dried up fountain.

Ruby swung her scythe at him as he clashed his blades with her. He laughed as he threw out a kick that made Ruby stagger back before she then attempted to swing at him again. The two again clashed weapons again with Tyrian managing to get a strike in on Ruby with his other arm blade, making her stagger back and fall to the ground as Jaune attempted to rush at him, only for him to land right atop his shield and look down at him with curiosity as Nora attempted to bring her hammer down on him from behind.

Tyrian however landed on Nora's hammer and let himself be flung right into the town's tallest tower by Nora, slamming him through the wall as he now stood, balancing and looking down at the four young hunters that stood before him.

"Who are you?!" Jaune asked.

"We're not looking for a fight!" Ren insisted.

He let himself fall to the ground and caught himself on his feet.

Ruby stood herself up now, gripping her scythe firmly.

"Who I am matters not to you." he pointed at Ren. "Or you..." he pointed to Nora. "Or you." he pointed at Jaune. "Well okay, you do interest me." he chuckled. "No, I only matter... To you." he pointed towards Ruby now.

"M-Me?!" Ruby took a step back.

Tyrian just started laughing as she seemed to be completely clueless. "Oh you don't even have the slightest clue?! Oh, this must be so exciting for you!" he wiped a tear from his eye from all his laughing.

"What do you want with me?!" Ruby glared angrily at him.

He gasped and held a hand over his heart, taking a step back slightly. "Oh my, this rose has thorns!" he laughed. "My dear child, I'm here to whisk you away with me!" he explained.

"Well what if she doesn't want to go with you?" Nora asked, now putting herself between Tyrian and Ruby.

"Oh? Well then I'll take her." Tyrian insisted.

"We're not going to let you do that." Jaune held a firm stance.

Tyrian took a deep breath as this cold dead air seemed all but refreshing to him. "Good."

Before anymore words could be shared, Tyrian was behind Jaune now. "JAUNE!" Ren called out as Jaune raised his shield up and Ren fired shots off at it, the shots deflected off of his shield and went towards Tyrian who blocked it with an arm before he attempted to stab at Jaune with his weapon, only to hit his shield that he now spun atop, Ren not letting up his gunfire only for his bullets to be reflected back at him.

Ruby charged at him and swung, missing her attack as Tyrian landed and kicked her in the face, knocking her several feet away. She fired a shot off at him that he blocked while Jaune swung at him with Crocea Mors. Tyrian ducked backwards to avoid this attack and kicked downwards at Jaune, getting a clean hit before kicking him in the face, knocking him to the ground as he then turned his attention towards Nora.

He ran right at her just as Ruby aimed down the barrel of her sniper at Tyrian, an electricity dust cartridge loaded in as she fired off at him.

Tyrian ducked slightly to the side as the shot wound up hitting Nora, electrifying her.

Tyrian just broke out into hysterics again. "Well if that isn't hilarious, I don't know what is?!"

Everyone stared in shock except for Ruby who smiled. Jaune and Ren then glanced over in Nora's direction and smiled, this just confused Tyrian who barely had any time to turn around as Nora charged forward and slammed her hammer down onto him, kicking up dust from the ground as a large cloud of it consumed the two.

However, upon it clearing it was clear that Nora didn't hit her target. A scorpion tail now protruded out of Tyrian's coat, holding Nora's hammer back.

"SURPRISE!" he laughed before Nora pulled her hammer back and he smacked her in the face with his tail and then a kick before throwing his coat off and jumping up onto a nearby roof.

"He's a faunus?!" Ren was surprised, but trailing his weapons on Tyrian.

"What is this about?! The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?!" Ruby asked, aiming her weapon on him.

"Plastic Soldiers and pawns!" Tyrian laughed. "My heart and body belong only to one goddess!"

"Cinder." Ruby grit her teeth now, readying her stance.

"Only in her wildest dreams!" Tyrian laughed before launching himself forward.

Ruby launched herself forward with Crescent Rose and clashed with him in midair, getting knocked back from his attack. She then swung at him after they landed and missed her swipe as he simply leaned back to dodge it before stabbing forward and knocking Ruby to the ground several feet away as Ren opened fire on him.

Tyrian attempted to stab Ren with his stinger, but Ren was able to keep up and dodge only to get kicked away as Jaune rushed in now and clashed blades with him.

A crow was now frantically flying towards Oniyuri.

Tyrian was surprised Jaune blocked his next attack and quickly deflected an attack from Nora with his tail before countering an attack from Jaune by uppercutting him, knocking him to the ground, his sword flying from his hand.

Tyrian turned his attention to Ruby as Nora ran over to Jaune's side while Ren was regaining his bearings after being knocked down.

Ruby tried to block Tyrian's next strikes but each attack connected till he finally knocked Crescent Rose from her hand and uppercut her into the air delivering a single kick to her gut that shattered her aura and flung her several feet away.

The crow kept going before it vanished and suddenly Qrow was in it's place and running frantically.

Ruby held her gut as Jaune leaned over to pick his sword up while Ren shook his head and readied himself to rush back in. Tyrian smirked, stinger at the ready, thrusting it forward when suddenly through a wall crashed Qrow Branwen.

Tyrian gasped in surprise but then chuckled as he had hit Qrow's sword.

Ruby looked up to her Uncle Qrow in awe.

"Hey." he smiled down to her.

* * *

**Commentary**: So here we have the big fight with Tyrian, at least the first part of it. Also some more scenes of RNJR at Higanbana and Qrow's scene with Raven here. Not really too much to say as I only really added more flourish to the fight and some dialogue changes.


	10. Chapter 10: Caged

Guests were mingling and having all sorts of conversations in the Ballroom, laughing it up and living their high lives while Weiss stood by herself, looking towards a painting of Beacon that was being auctioned off for charity.

She put her hand on the plaque and let out a sigh. "I wonder if you guys are doing any better..." she asked, thinking about all of her friends in Vale.

"Are you talking to yourself?" asked a younger man that approached Weiss.

Weiss turned to look at him and was perplexed, having to do a double take because she thought he was Neptune for a second. "I'm sorry? You are?"

"Henry Marigold." he held his hand forward. "It's pleasant to meet you, Miss Schnee." he offered a friendly smile to her.

Weiss didn't bother shaking his hand as she looked forward at the painting.

"Such a somber piece. But you don't have to be somber like it, you know?" he flirted.

Weiss took a step back, internally gagging at this guy's attempted flirting. "Sorry, I don't know if you heard but that's being auctioned off for a charity cause." she stated.

"Look, I'm not particularly interested in why these types of events are being held. I only come really for the food and the people. Come now, you must be looking to have some form of fun." he insisted.

Weiss grit her teeth now. "Leave." she stated coldly.

"H-Hey come on, there's no need to cause a scene, Ice Queen." he waved his hands in front of him.

"The door's that way. Or would you prefer me to ask security to walk you there." Weiss narrowed her eyes at him.

"Okay, geez. No need to be such a party pooper." Henry walked off, away from her but not before taking another glass of champagne on his way out.

Weiss let out a sigh as she glanced over towards her father who was with her brother though he seemed to be paying more attention to the discussion he was having with a woman.

"So I tell them, we pay our faunus workers the same pay rates as our human workers. I'm not a bad guy for it am I? I know I'm certainly being fair." Jacques chuckled, sipping from his glass as Weiss walked over. "Ah Weiss, how are you liking things?" he asked her.

"I'm... Doing alright." she smiled a bit, though the fakeness in her smile was clearly visible.

"Come, maybe you want another drink." he insisted, gesturing for a butler to come and bring her another drink.

"No, I'm not thirsty." she shook her head.

"Isn't there someone your age to mingle with? I could have sworn i saw a fellow around your age here somewhere." he looked around. "Maybe I was just seeing things." he shrugged. "But there's plenty of wonderful people you can talk to here." he assured, noting a woman wearing Atlesian military uniform approaching him.

Her hair was black and done up in a very ornate fashion with two buns on either side, each bun with a stick poking through. She seemed like someone that was clearly from Mistral.

"Mr. Schnee!" greeted the specialist with a smile.

"Ah, Ms. Kori! It's always a pleasure to see you. I'd like for you to meet my daughter, Weiss." he gestured to her as Weiss waved up at her awkwardly.

"Ah! Weiss Schnee! It's a real honor to meet you!" the soldier smiled and saluted her. "Yukio Kori, reporting for duty here!"

"It's nice to meet a fellow huntress." Weiss nodded and saluted her back, much to her surprise.

"Oh, that's right! You went to Beacon! I heard about all that happened there. I can assure you, if I were there I'd have helped as much as I could." Yukio nodded. "Maybe I'd have even prevented it all together." she smirked, looking in Jacques' direction. Jacques could only chuckle a little at her remark.

"So how do you know my father?" Weiss asked curiously.

"Well, my family, as I'm sure you know is a family of performers and artisans from Mistral. I however, didn't want to take up their work and instead wanted to dedicate myself to becoming a huntress. Your father heard that and he promised to fund my education here in Atlas. And now I'm graduated and a specialist!" she smiled.

"I see." Weiss nodded, noticing the weapon on her belt. "Is that a rapier?" she asked.

"Why yes it would be." Yukio affirmed. "My Rapier also doubles as a revolver, it has a chamber for firing out and everything." she explained. "I specialize in ice dust specifically as my weapon does have a special slot in it meant for it."

Weiss's eyes narrowed at her now. "And Father funded you?"

"Yes, in fact I'd say he's a very good acquaintance of mine." she affirmed.

"Why yes, Weiss. She's going to be our family sponsored Huntress. She will do her part to fight the good fight in the name of the Schnee family." Jacques explained with a smile.

Weiss' optimism turned to a scowl. "So she's essentially replacing me in what I was hoping on doing initially when I started." she crossed her arms.

"Yes. I suppose you can look at it that way." Jacques nodded. "Although I have helped her since before you were in Beacon." he reasoned.

"I can't believe you." Weiss walked away from him, now fuming.

Whitley smiled as he took a sip from some punch while watching this whole scene unfold.

"Weiss." Jacques let out a sigh before turning towards Yukio. "Don't mind her, Specialist Kori. She's just been a bit high strung ever since Beacon."

"It's alright, Beacon hit a lot of people hard. Perhaps you should send her to therapy. You know, every Student that was at Beacon is entitled to it, no extra cost." Yukio explained.

Weiss took a deep breath before walking over to the bar to get herself something to drink. She'd just brush this off and pay it no mind, after all, there was still money raised and all of it was going towards helping the people of Vale.

However the room suddenly fell completely silent to Weiss when she listened in on one group of women's conversation.

"I mean honestly? I think that money shouldn't go to Vale. I mean what have they done to help us?!" she scoffed. "We saved their butts and now they want our money?! Honestly, to hell with them."

"Oh my gosh?! I know right?! I mean it's not my fault they lack basic competence." another woman added. "if they had any sense of elegance they'd probably not have been targeted."

"I mean did you see how ruthless their students are?! Like don't you remember what happened with that insane blonde girl who broke that poor guy's leg?! Honestly, Vale deserved what was coming to them and I think we're better off without them." the third woman laughed, before drinking from her wine glass.

"SHUT UP!" Weiss spoke up suddenly. All eyes in the room were on her now.

"Weiss, please calm down." Jacques insisted.

"No!" Weiss stomped forward. "All you do is talk about pointless things, like how your make-up looks and how your hair's doing! You don't actually care about people less fortunate than you! You don't care about anyone other than yourselves!" Weiss ranted. "This entire event is pointless! Nothing's really being done except you people claiming you're doing something good! Well guess what?! Actions speak louder than words! Either actually do something with your time and money, or don't even bother!"

"Well it's not my fault the people of Vale got what they deserved." the third woman glared back at her. "A society that allows criminals to roam the streets, is a doomed society."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, her eyes glaring right through the woman practically.

"Weiss!" Jacques grabbed her arm now.

"LET GO OF ME!" Weiss yelled, forcing her grip free of her father before she fell over. Suddenly a glyph appeared behind her and out of it leaped a Boarbatusk summon. It let out a roar before it ran towards the woman.

"PLEASE STOP IT! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" The woman pleaded while starting to run away from it before suddenly a gunshot rang across the room and killed the beast, causing it to fade away into a white mist.

General Ironwood was the one who had destroyed the beast and he put his gun back onto it's holster.

"ARREST HER!" The woman shouted, now pointing at Weiss.

"No, I won't." the General shook his head. "She's the only one around here actually making any sense. Thanks for the party Jacques." he left the ballroom.

Jacques glared directly at Weiss now who looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

* * *

Jacques was pacing around Weiss's room angrily. "Unbelievable... Just... Unbelievable."

Weiss looked down at her lap.

"Do you know what your stunt cost us?!"

"I-"

"I'm not just talking about Lien! I'm talking about our public image!" he yelled. "Because of your little stunt I have to apologize to all the guests and put money towards repairing damaged relationships!"

"The money we raised will still go towards Vale, right?" Weiss asked.

"No... I'm afraid all of that money now has to be relegated towards all that I'm fixing." Jacques stated.

Weiss looked up at him now with anger in her eyes. "I want to leave then."

"I beg your pardon?!" Jacques glared right back at her.

"I said I want to leave. I don't want to stay in this mansion anymore and I don't want to stay in Atlas anymore!" Weiss spat back.

"Young lady, I don't give a DAMN about what you want. This isn't about you, it's about the Schnee family name and your insistence on dragging it through the mud!" Jacques argued.

Weiss just scoffed and stood herself up. "Don't you mean the family brand? I'm more of a Schnee than you'll EVER be. You only married into this family and I'd still rather call my mother a Schnee before I'd call you a Schnee-"

Jacques slapped her across the face which made her gasp. "You think that following in your sister's footsteps is really going to do anything to help our family name?"

"I'm not following in Winter's footsteps. I'm following only in my own footsteps and seeing the world for myself so I can make up my mind on how I want to change things." she grit her teeth the moment he turned around from her. "I'd rather be out there than up here with people that don't know anything! People that would rather be ignorant of what's going on in the world than actually try and make a difference! My family's name is something YOU ruined and I'm not going to let you ruin it anymore! I'm going to become a huntress and I'm going to actually do something with my life, something that benefits our family name, rather than waste my time up here!"

"No." Jacques shook his head before turning back towards her. "You're not going anywhere. You're not going to leave Atlas or this manor until we can come to an agreement on my terms."

"You can't do that!" Weiss stormed towards her father. "You can't keep me caged up here!"

"Oh, but I can." Jacques crossed his arms. "You're not to leave this manor, and the staff here will ensure you stay. After that stunt you pulled, I feel it's my duty as a father to keep you where I can see you. I'm allowed to ground you as your father."

"People will ask questions! They'll want to know why the Schnee Dust Company Heiress is missing!"

"Which is why, you're no longer the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." Jacques stated.

"i'm sorry, what?!" Weiss took a step back.

"The Trauma you endured at the fall of Beacon was too much for you to bear, which is why you generously have revoked your title as heiress and passed it along to your younger brother Whitley, making him the heir to the Schnee Dust Company." Jacques explained. "It's time to wake up and face reality." he left the room, nodding to Whitley as he stood behind the door with a smile on his face.

Weiss stood there in shock, it was as if everything froze around her before she went over towards the door and approached Whitley.

"You planned this, didn't you?! You never really cared about me... You just wanted my title!" Weiss glared at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about sister?" Whitley chuckled. "You of all people should know not to upset father." he walked off, leaving Weiss by herself.

* * *

The late hours of the night befell on the Manor as Weiss, now geared up with Myrtenaster and a briefcase of supplies readied herself to leave. She took her heels off and stowed away them in her briefcase.

"Okay, Weiss... Just don't make any noise and go for the back door." she hid behind walls in the currently dimly lit hallway, as there were a few night staff working in the manor to ensure things were set and ready for the next day. Weiss narrowed her eyes as she made her way past Whitley's room. "You're no better than father." she muttered under her breath.

Unbeknownst to her however, Whitley was watching her from around a dark corner and called for someone on his scroll as Weiss finally made her way to the back door.

_It starts,  
With the unexpected loss of something dear..._

She unlocked it and stepped outside towards the garden. The stench of alcohol was very still present in the air. "Mother..." she took a deep breath as she knew she'd have to cut around the central Gazebo to leave the manor grounds.

_The Warmth,  
That comforted and cradled just disappears.  
And in it's place there's nothing,  
Just an endless empty hole  
_  
Weiss walked around the closed Gazebo and saw her mother passed out drunk on the inside of it, looking away now.

_The light that shone the way is gone,  
and darkness takes control_

Weiss continued into the courtyard, the back gate now clearly visible to her. "This was easier than I thought..." she mused, continuing along her way.

_Bitterness and anger are quick to fill the void,  
The path to isolation,  
Is littered with the dreams that lay destroyed._

However, just as she was halfway through the courtyard, a spotlight shone on her and blinded her as several Atlesian soldiers rappelled down from the roof lead by none other than Yukio Kori, who now stood in front of Weiss, her rapier in hand.

"Weiss Schnee. You are not permitted to leave these grounds!" Yukio ordered.

"You're a huntress, aren't you?" Weiss asked, taking a step back with her hand ready on Myrtenaster. "I just need to talk with General Ironwood or my sister Winter!" she reasoned.

"You're not talking with anyone, kid." Yukio insisted as two of her soldiers approached her from behind.

"Why?" Weiss asked.

"Well, your father paid me and my men quite handsomely to make sure you don't go anywhere. Now then, you can either go peacefully, or I'll drag you back in by force." Yukio stated.

_Enemies surround me,  
But the worst appear as friends_

Weiss unclipped Myrtenaster from her belt and rushed in Yukio's direction, boosting herself forward with a glyph, the air felt colder for some reason.

_Liars and pretenders,  
Only seek to reach their ends_

Yukio smirked at this and simply swung her rapier upwards and created a wall of ice from it, blocking Weiss's attack that she now fell back from.

_Everything is breaking,  
Right before my eyes  
Looking in the mirror,  
I see someone that I don't recognize!_

Weiss stood up, but Yukio now stood in front of her again. Weiss attempted to swing at her again, but Yukio grabbed her arm and soon it was encased in ice. "WHAT?!" was all Weiss had time to say before she was tasered by the two soldiers behind her.

* * *

Weiss woke up in her room the next morning, greeted by the not-so-welcomed sight of her younger brother.

"That was quite the scene you caused last night sister." Whitley chuckled. "But rest assured, no more such incidents will happen. We have guards stationed outside of your room, your weapon has been confiscated and you are now not to leave your room."

"Why are you the one telling me this?" Weiss asked, still feeling dazed and exhausted.

"Father is far too busy working repairing his image after what you did at the charity event." Whitley explained. "Honestly, I always saw the hunter profession as barbaric."

"You wouldn't understand." Weiss scoffed, turning away from him.

"Oh but dear sister, I do understand. I understand enough to know that what you did, raising your arms against a huntress... That's a borderline punishable offense. Be glad Miss Kori was asked by our father to keep quiet about any incidents." Whitley chuckled.

"Leave me alone." Weiss crossed her arms.

"Oh come now, sister. When father is back from his current dealings he's going to take me into town to meet some people, if you want I could get you something." Whitley offered.

"I said leave!" Weiss glared at him now.

Whitley held his hands up defensively and started to back out of the room.

"I'll take that as a no, but-" before Whitley could say another word, Weiss slammed the door on his face with a glyph.

She took a deep breath and held her head before stumbling over to her bed and falling onto it, breaking down into tears.

* * *

Weiss spent the entire day in an inconsolable state, crying and sleeping. Weiss was awoken by a knock on her door in the middle of the night however.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened the door slightly. The two guards outside her door were oddly nowhere to be found now, in fact the only person there was Klein who was holding something wrapped up in a large cloth.

"Klein what's this about?" she asked as Klein hurriedly walked into her room.

"Madame, I can't bear to see you so miserable and depressed." Klein confessed. "That is why, I will help you in any way I see fit." he unwrapped the cloth to reveal Myrtenaster. "I took this back from the back of your father's office." he explained.

"Won't he notice?!" Weiss was concerned now.

"No because it was in a case that I doubt he'll open any time soon. I had to dig it out from a few things stacked on top of it." Klein assured.

"I've moved your other supplies out of the manor as well." he explained.

"I... I don't think leaving right now would be a good idea." Weiss confessed.

"You're right." Klein confirmed before his eyes shifted color. "I tell ya, that ol' Jacques can be a real damn dirtbag."

"Klein please." Weiss held back a slight laugh.

"Sorry." he apologized, his eyes flashing to a calmer color now.

"I will inform you when we'll go through with your departure plans." Klein assured. "A friend of your's confirmed with me that your sister Winter is in Mistral. So I'll see about getting you on a flight out there." he then heard the sound of footsteps from outside.

"I recommend that you keep your weapon hidden and train yourself only in secret for the time." Klein suggested. "I have to go now."

"Klein." Weiss looked to him.

"Yes, Madame?" he asked.

"Thank you." she hugged him with a smile.

"Any time, so long as I can see that smile on your face." Klein smiled back before leaving the room as the guards arrived back. They looked at him quizzically. "Just cleaning up!" he lied as he walked off.

Weiss now held Myrtenaster firmly and smiled. She needed to be ready to leave, and now she had the means and the time to do so.

* * *

**Commentary**: Here's where Weiss's arc picks up some ground. She snaps at the charity event, her father disinherits her and now she wants nothing more than to leave, yet there's still an obstacle in her way by the name of Yukio Kori. Who is an allusion to a Japanese legend about a woman who appears in freezing conditions. She's also who I'd like to call "State Sponsored Weiss" well more specifically "Jacques Sponsored Weiss" as in he's like if Weiss did what she did for her father like some sort of loyal puppet. Either way, her escape from the mansion won't be as easy as it was in the show. No walking out in heels for her. Whitley is more antagonistic here, but well... I won't go into it here, he's got his reasons.


	11. Chapter 11: Menagerie

Seagulls sang out as the SS Pride docked at Menagerie.

"I can't thank you enough for your help." the captain bowed his head to Blake. "I hope you two are able to find whatever it is you're looking for here."

"Thank you." Blake smiled. "Also I'd watch my words more carefully if I were you." Blake advised. "What you said to me about mingling with 'my own kind'..."

"I apologize." the captain looked down.

"What matters is that you see what's wrong with saying stuff like that." Blake nodded with a smile before turning towards Sun. "Come on Sun. We need to get to my parents' house."

Sun was munching on an apple as he followed Blake off the ship and waved to the captain.

"Say did that Wukong guy have a boarding pass?" the captain's first mate asked.

"No, but after the help he gave us, he didn't need one." the captain shook his head before walking back into the ship.

"Wow, so this is Menagerie..." Sun noted as he had to bump past several people already. "It seems very... Crowded." he noted as the streets were practically filled to the brim with other faunus.

"You have no idea." Blake sighed, looking over towards the shops and stands that were crowded around each other. "After the great war, the faunus were given this island and told to make due. Due to the hostile species of Grimm that inhabit most of this island, Kuo Kuwana is the only large scale city here." Blake shoved her way through a family, with Sun carefully stepping over a child as he followed her.

"So there aren't other settlements?" Sun asked her as they started to make their way uphill, again having to squeeze their way through and around crowds.

"i didn't say there aren't, but those settlements are less stable than the capital." Blake explained. "With Grimm as rampant as they are there and there being an all time shortage on huntsman here, most other settlements don't last that long." she was now glancing downward as they reached the top of the hill. "Where is it?"

"So which of these is your house?" Sun asked, looking as well before Blake pointed his finger towards the largest looking building on the street. He looked to her and then to the house in shock.

Blake merely nodded and started ahead of him as he held his head in surprise before following her.

The two approached the large door and looked up at it. She reached out towards the large handle on the door and hesitated.

"What's the matter?" Sun asked.

"I just... It's been a long time since I've seen my parents and well, the last time I saw them we didn't exactly leave on good terms." she explained.

"I got it then!" Sun grinned eagerly and knocked on the door with the handle, the knock echoing through the building practically as Sun took a step back. "Okay that is SUPER intimidating!"

Footsteps could be heard behind the door as it started to open up. On the other side of the door was a middle aged woman, with cat ears, short black hair and yellow eyes. "Yes, who is it-" her eyes went wide as she looked at Blake. "Blake..."

"H-Hi Mom." Blake scratched the back of her head looking nervous now.

"Kali? Who's at the door?" asked a large man who approached, he had a beard, yellow eyes like Blake and the Woman and his general stature would make him seem massive compared to everyone else. His eyes went wide when he saw Blake.

"Hi Dad." Blake greeted him as well.

"Ghira..." Kali looked towards the man. "I'll go make tea." she rushed off as Ghira opened the door.

"Come in!" he invited Blake and her mysterious friend inside.

* * *

The four sat around a table drinking tea. "T-This tea is lovely Mrs. Belladonna!" Sun complimented.

"Oh why thank you, dear." Kali smiled before glancing over towards Blake. "Are you two..." she pointed between them.

Blake blushed and Sun choked on his tea. "N-No! Nothing like that!" They argued in unison.

"Well that's a relief." Ghira shook his head.

"N-Not that Blake isn't amazing or not worth pining over at all!" Sun affirmed.

"What do you mean by that?" Ghira glared as Sun slunk back a bit.

"I don't mean anything bad!" Sun waved his arms around frantically.

Kali turned her attention towards her daughter who was looking down sadly at her cup of tea. "So, Blake! We saw you at the Vytal Festival!" she smiled. "Oh your father and I were cheering you and your team on so hard!"

"Yes, I will say it's quite surprising to see a Schnee working so well with a faunus of course... You had your bow on the entire time..." Ghira remarked.

"She knew." Blake stated. "All of my teammates and close friends knew."

"So then, why hide it from the world?" Ghira asked.

"I just... I was scared of being judged by everyone at the school, I've seen people get bullied around Beacon and I didn't want to put up with it." she confessed.

"Blake..." Kali put a hand on her shoulder. "When we heard what happened at Beacon we were appalled. The fact that Atlas would do something like that is unbelievable."

"It wasn't Atlas." Blake glanced over to her mother. "Where did you hear that it was Atlas that staged the attack?"

Before Kali could answer there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Ghira stood up and walked over.

"More visitors?" Sun asked.

"Well our house is partially the Town Hall." Kali explained. "We only really use less than half of the space since the rest of it is meant to be public space, but when someone knocks, that's usually meant to imply they're visiting us." Kali explained as she stood up.

"Who is it?" Blake asked, standing up as well.

"Oh, you know. It's just the White Fang." Kali took a sip from her tea as Blake grit her teeth.

"Hey, Blake wait!" Sun followed after her.

"That is the report for today." Answered Corsec Albain as Blake and Sun approached.

"Dad, who- You two?!" Blake glared now.

"Ah, sister Blake! It's pleasant to see you again!" Fennec smiled to her.

"Would you like to join back up with our Brotherhood here in the White Fang?" Corsec asked. "Sister Ilia would be elated to see you again!"

"Don't play those games with me! You were at the docks that night in Vale!" Blake pointed at them. "Dad, they aided a known criminal in stealing dust! They're not who you think they are!"

"I can confirm it because I was there too! And these two creeps tried to get the drop on Weiss." Sun added.

"Is this true?!" Ghira glared down at the brothers.

"We hoped we would't have to have a talk about this." Corsec stated.

"Yes, we didn't want to bring this topic up around you Chieftan Belladonna." Fennec added. "But over the last few months a splinter group in the White Fang has been clearly taking the reigns in Vale."

"We went to Vale undercover to spy on this group but wound up getting roped into an operation." Corsec explained.

"Yes, in order to not blow our cover we had to work closely and believably with the splinter group's forces." Fennec confirmed with a nod.

"So you tried to kill a bunch of kids?!" Sun seemed annoyed now.

"We held back because we didn't want harm to come to anyone." Fennec glared at Sun now. "We had to be believable."

"That's still complacency! If you were there then you had to have known about what was going down in Mountain Glenn and what they were planning for Beacon!" Blake stomped forward.

"Blake, that's enough." Ghira interjected. "We'll have a talk about this 'splinter group' later. Good day." he closed the door.

"Dad, I have so much I need to tell you about what went down at Beacon and..." Blake held her arm now. "I feel so selfish." she confessed. "I run away from home and all I do is come here and demand your help now."

"Blake, we want what's right... We know you do too." Ghira put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe we can discuss this tomorrow after you've gotten some rest." he offered. "You must be tired after all that traveling."

"Believe me, you wouldn't believe how much I did on that trip." Blake shrugged her shoulders.

"A giant Grimm showed up and we helped kill it!" Sun began, recounting the story of their bout with the sea-Feilong.

* * *

Corsec and Fennec returned to the White Fang headquarters in Kuo Kuwana and smiled to each other as they entered the room. "Would you say this is a most interesting discovery brother?" Fennec asked.

"I would agree with you brother that this is most interesting." they smirked. "We should tell Brother Adam of our discovery at once."

The two brothers stopped in a room with a large shrine with three members of the White Fang all waiting and kneeling. Each of them wearing Grimm masks. The mask of the shorter one with the large curly ponytail resembled a Chameleon, the mask of the male with large bat wings resembled a bat and the mask of the last silver haired member resembled that of a spider, her veins on her arms were visible and notably gray.

"Sister Ilia." Fennec stated as Ilia bowed on her knee to him. "Sister Blake has returned to town, keep an eye on her and her friend."

"I will." Ilia stood up and started out the door, her skin turning pitch black as she jumped up to a roof.

Corsec turned towards the other two faunus in the room. "Brother Yuma, Sister Trifa I need you to ensure the new arrivals in town are silent about the truth of Vale."

"With pleasure." Trifa smirked as she started towards the door, before shooting a web out from her wrist that she then swung herself off of.

"A little intimidation goes a long way." Yuma chuckled. "Of course, if they don't listen then there's always the consequence for speaking up." he flew off.

Corsec and Fennec smirked to each other. "Are you certain that the arrival of Blake Belladonna won't result in anything happening here?" Fennec asked.

"Blake's presence won't make a difference, brother. For Menagerie has been under the White Fang's control long before she arrived." Corsec assured. "Even if she tries something, we can quickly bury it like we've buried the truth of Beacon's Fall."

* * *

**Commentary**: Did my best to make Menagerie seem more crowded. Also Blake's house, the one her parents live in. That isn't only their house. That's the town hall. They live on one side of a public owned building. Trifa and Yuma are also introduced way sooner here and do get to be a little more proactive. Also the White Fang is controlling the flow of information going in, go figure.


	12. Chapter 12: Fanning the Flame

A loud thud echoed around the front yard of the Xiao Long Household as Yang groaned, trying to stand herself up as Taiyang stood over her with his arms crossed. "C'mon, get back up." he insisted.

Yang finally stood back on her feet again and raised her fists, her eyes notably weren't red, they were still lilac. She threw a punch out in her father's direction again with her prosthetic this time and he ducked to the side of it and grabbed her other arm, pinning it behind her back as she struggled, trying to elbow him, but he caught her.

"We've been at this for over an hour. Are you even really trying?" Taiyang asked before he let go and shoved Yang forward.

"This is getting nowhere." Yang lamented as she straightened up her posture again and looked over to Zwei who walked over to her with a towel on top of his head. She took it and wiped the sweat off of her. "I mean the arm feels fine. It feels scarily natural." she admitted as she flexed the arm.

"I can't imagine it feels the same as your old one did." Alix remarked, stepping outside, stretching his arms as he looked around.

"Ah Alix! You're up, I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping Yang out here." Taiyang suggested.

"Oh?! I'd be more than happy to!" Alix cracked his knuckles with a grin.

"With your dagger." Yang added. "I know you're not much of a hand-to-hand fighter. So show me what you got with your dagger."

"You sure?" Alix asked, now holding up his dagger. "I still don't have my replacement for it's partner yet." he sighed.

"Well then." Yang took her arm off and tossed it towards her father, who caught it. "Now we're even."

"Well if you insist." Alix readied his stance, holding his cracked dagger forward.

He charged first at Yang, Yang weaved to the side of his first slash, throwing out a punch that connected with his side, causing him to spin around slightly as she then jumped forward with another punch, this time Alix rolled out of the way and swung his dagger at her, striking her in the side too, bringing her to her knees as she panted now.

"C'mon Yang, you were easily able to best me at Beacon!" Alix stood himself up, dusting his pants off.

"Well I had 2 arms at Beacon." Yang argued. "That and a lot more confidence." she muttered the second part before holding a defensive position now.

"Didn't you beat me with one arm behind your back at Signal?!" Alix pointed out as he started to stab at her, Yang caught his wrist a couple of times before the third attempted stab actually nicked her in the gut, making her stagger back before Alix then followed up his attack with an uppercut that knocked Yang onto her back.

She struggled to stand herself back up, but her aura shattered and she fell back down. "Dammit." Yang slammed her fist into the ground before Alix offered a hand to her.

* * *

"I'm rusty, can you cut me some slack?" Yang asked, looking to her father, she was sitting on the couch and grasping a bottle of water.

"The world isn't going to care if you're rusty you know." Taiyang shook his head before sitting down next to her. "Yang... Why didn't you use your semblance at all?"

"My semblance is what lost me my arm, isn't it? It's also what lead to what happened with me at the tournament..." Yang crossed her arms and huffed.

"Your semblance is only half of it." Taiyang let out a sigh. "Yang, your semblance isn't always going to save you. I mean obviously. People might hit harder than you can deal out. You're right to not want to rely on it, but it is a good fallback plan in a worse case scenario."

"What's the other half of my problem?" Yang asked.

"Your temper." he prodded her forehead.

"HEY!" she glared angrily.

"Point proven." he shrugged his shoulders. "You need to learn how to control your emotions better, Yang."

"Oh! I think I might be able to help with that!" Alix smiled as he entered the room with a bottle of water in hand.

"If you're gonna tell me to just keep a cool head, don't bother. It's not that simple." Yang deadpanned.

"H-Hey! I was just going to suggest... Yeah okay, I was totally just gonna suggest that." Alix pouted. "But I did have another idea for how we can help train your mind." he sat down next to her and Taiyang before opening up his scroll.

"So recently there's been some videos floating around, found surveillance footage more specifically." he began. "I think an ex White Fang operative put this stuff out in the hopes of aiding the authorities in apprehending Adam Taurus." he pulled up a video on his scroll. "Oh, could I bring this footage up to the TV?" he asked.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea." Taiyang shook his head in refusal. "Especially not if people are killed in this footage."

"Actually it's mainly Adam cutting down Atlas robots." Alix stated.

"That still doesn't-"

"Put it on." Yang cut her Dad off.

Taiyang looked to her in disbelief. "Are you absolutely certain?"

"If I'm ever going to run into him again, I think I should know what to do." she affirmed. "I already know what not to do." she looked to her prosthetic.

"If you think it's alright then." Taiyang scratched the back of his head. "Alix, pull the footage off if Yang starts to act up again." he put a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Of course." Alix got up and went to connect his scroll to the TV.

He sat next to Yang as the footage started from the perspective of a camera in the corner of the large corridor.

* * *

Adam stood by himself in this corridor as several Atlesian Knight units transformed their arms into guns and blades. The units that had guns fired them out at Adam.

Adam smirked, rushing forward deflecting all the bullets with his sword before slicing through the first couple of sword units, cutting them into pieces with little effort before firing his sword out of his sheath, knocking one of the knights further back into the corridor while he then shot the other one that was now in front of him at point blank before catching his sword.

It was then that the corridor opened and an Atlesian Knight stood at the end and fired shots off at him. He ran side to side to avoid the shots before finally his hair glowed and he gripped his sword firmly.

* * *

Yang froze up as she saw Adam charge up the attack that hit her, her hand was shaking again and her breathing got heavier.

"Yang!" Alix shut the footage off before it could continue and he shook her shoulders before she finally calmed herself down.

"Dammit..." Yang grunted as she held her head.

"Are you alright?" he grabbed her water bottle off the couch and held it up towards her. She took it and took a swig from it.

"No." Yang admitted. "I'm not alright. I couldn't even grasp anything I saw. I just... I keep finding myself back in that moment! Any time any tense situation happens. My mind brings me back there and I just can't focus!" she slapped herself across the face with her prosthetic.

"Yang, please don't be so hard on yourself." Alix put his hand on her shoulder. "You've been through a lot. I mean we all have, haven't we?"

"I guess, but-" she was cut off when Taiyang stepped into the room.

"Hey, Alix I hope you don't mind me asking if you could run out into town and get me something- Oh, am I interrupting anything?" he asked.

"No, you're not." Alix stood himself up before Yang stood up with him.

"I'll go." Yang insisted.

"Oh um... Sure. Bumblebee's side car should be able to hold the wood we need for our fence repairs." Taiyang scratched the back of his head.

"Fence repairs?" Alix asked.

"I don't know if it was Grimm or that lunatic that attacked us, but there's a sizable hole in our fence now, so I need to fix it." he explained.

"Yang." Taiyang looked to her as she turned back towards him. "Take it easy out there."

She just nodded and went out to where she had parked Bumblebee.

She took out the pump she had and filled the flattened tire back up with air before hopping on and riding out, thankfully the ride was considerably smoother now that she had two arms to use again.

* * *

Yang wiped sweat off her forehead as she loaded the planks of wood into Bumblebee when a shadow loomed behind her.

Yang grit her teeth, not in the mood for any nonsense. "Look, just hurl your insults at me and-" she took a step closer to her motorcycle as she saw several of Junior's thugs approaching her, brandishing their red axes and swords.

"We've heard that you're not exactly in tip top shape and we think it's time you take your lumps." one of the men stated as Yang took another step closer to Bumblebee.

"Your boss is on good terms with me." Yang stated.

"Well it's a good thing that he won't know about this then, Isn't it?" another one of the men chuckled as they started to circle around Yang.

"GET HER!"

Yang raised her fists up and blocked the first attack with her prosthetic arm as another goon swung at her with an axe and her mind flashed her back to Beacon again, resulting in her taking the hit.

She fell to the ground and struggled to stand. They started to kick her while she was down now. She curled up into a ball to brace from most of the attacks before she finally had enough. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled as she threw a punch out, that fired a shot from her prosthetic arm that hit one of the men square in the chest, knocking him back.

"You told me she would be unarmed!" one of the men argued.

"How was I supposed to know she'd have an Atlas Tech arm?!" another argued back.

The goons were adequately scared off by the gunshot and all ran as Yang sat herself up on the ground and looked to the gun that protruded out of her prosthetic arm. "Whoa." the gun concealed itself again as she pulled herself up onto Bumblebee and rested for a moment as she then started to drive herself back home.

* * *

Yang arrived home, now wordless of the incident as picked up the wood and leaned it on the front of the house as Taiyang stepped outside to greet her.

"Ah good." he nodded before Yang immediately got into a stance. "Now?" he asked.

"Now." Yang stated, her eyes were red again, but a duller red.

"Alright, let's try again." Taiyang raised his arms up as well.

Yang ran at him, yelling angrily as she threw a punch at him with her prosthetic arm. He dodged to the side of it and countered with an elbow to her back that caused her to stagger back.

Yang grit her teeth angrily and started throwing punches out at him in an attack rush.

"**ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORAAA**!" she yelled as each punch only hit his raised up arms before he then punched her right in the face and she was flung right onto her back again.

"You're using your aggression again." Taiyang shook his head as he offered a hand to her now.

"Sorry... I just... I haven't felt that in a while." Yang confessed. "Back in the parking lot I ran into some guys that didn't exactly like me. They beat me up till I scared them off."

"Where are these guys? Do I need to call the police?" Taiyang asked.

"They're gone." Yang shook her head before she sat herself down on Bumblebee again. "Dad, I made a lot of mistakes." she lamented. "I made a lot of enemies all because I really wanted to find out what happened to my Mother..."

"Yang... My little dragon of sunshine." he put his hand on her shoulder. "We all make mistakes. But it's only when we can accept and acknowledge them that we'll grow. You're beginning to acknowledge your own mistakes and shortcomings. I'm confident that within the week you'll be ready to go and find your sister." he stated. "You just need to fight smarter, not harder. We can go over some strategies later." he assured. "Alix went back to his family's inn by the way. Something about his teammates again. I tell ya, those kids are wild sometimes." he shook his head.

"You really think so?" Yang asked. "A-About me being ready?"

"I know so." he hugged her and she hugged him back. "Now then." a slight smirk formed on his face as he took a few steps away from her. "Why don't we start this a little slower."

"Alright, sure." Yang took a deep breath and readied her combat stance.

"I met your mother back at Beacon. But I'm sure you're probably already aware of that." Taiyang chuckled.

"You'll talk to me about Mom?" Yang was surprised.

"Only if you keep up." he stated as Yang narrowed her eyes but then smiled.

* * *

**Commentary**: Another Yang centric chapter. Her training is progressing, albeit pretty slowly here. Maybe some proper motivation will help her pick up the pace. Also again with her being ambushed by Junior's goons that have a bone to pick with her. Next chapter we check back in with RNJR and see if Qrow can turn the tides of the battle.


	13. Chapter 13: Bad Omens

"Uncle Qrow..." Ruby smiled up towards her Uncle as he turned towards Tyrian and fired a shot out from his weapon that was blocked when Tyrian pulled his stinger back.

"Ah Qrow Branwen! Finally a True huntsman has entered the fray!" Tyrian bowed and chuckled looking at the man as he lured his weapon.

Ruby was handed Crescent Rose by Jaune whom had grouped up with Ren and Nora, who were both aiming their weapons at Tyrian. She leaned herself on Crescent Rose, holding her gut now.

"I don't know what you want buddy, but you better leave my niece alone." Qrow stated.

"My name is Tyrian and I'm afraid I cannot do that for her grace wants this girl." Tyrian explained.

"I don't know, this guy's weird." Ruby shook her head.

"If it's not Cinder, who is it?" Jaune asked Qrow.

"Salem." Qrow glared forward at Tyrian.

"Who?" Ruby tilted her head in confusion.

"Now then, I think we've had enough talk, don't you agree?" Tyrian laughed as he readied his stance, sat on all fours like he was some animal.

"You took the words right out of my-" before Qrow could finish his sentence, Tyrian threw himself at Qrow.

His arm bracers clashed with Qrow's sword as he blocked every attack before countering with an upward slash that created a shockwave and knocked Tyrian away.

Qrow leaped after Tyrian slamming his sword down but Tyrian backflipped away, barely dodging a kick thrown out at him before slashing at him with both blades, clashing with Qrow now in a lock that Qrow was clearly winning as he was starting to shove Tyrian down.

Tyrian smirked and closed his fist, two gun barrels protruding from each wrist bracer. Qrow's eyes went wide and he pulled himself away, blocking bullets fired in his direction by Tyrian.

JNR nodded among each other and ran forward, Ren firing out shots from Storm Flower that Tyrian rolled to the side to dodge as Jaune attempted to slash at him. The attack almost hit, but suddenly a crack opened up in the pavement and Jaune fell over much to Tyrian's delight as he attempted to bring down his stinger on Jaune only to instead hit Nora's hammer as she then took a big swing at him, Tyrian raised up his arms to block, but the crack suddenly extended out and Nora fell over, landing on her back and dropping her hammer.

Ren's eyes went wide as he attempted to rush in, only for Qrow to stop Tyrian's next attack by slamming his sword right into him, clashing yet again, this time holding Tyrian back with both arms on his sword now. "Don't come closer!" Qrow stated.

"W-What was that?!" Nora asked, confused.

"I think I know." Ren holstered his guns and went to give his teammates a hand.

"Fine then!" Ruby yelled out as she fired a shot at the ground, boosting herself into the air and landing herself on a roof where she aimed down Crescent Rose, hoping to get a good shot off, but they were moving too fast.

Qrow pursued Tyrian around the town square now, firing shots from Harbinger and slashing at him, but Tyrian was too Nimble for him and kept firing shots at him whenever he thought he had an opening. Qrow slashed out at Tyrian again, Tyrian letting himself drop to the ground as Qrow attempted to slash upwards at him, only for him to backflip away and balance himself on his tail, firing shots off at Qrow, that he deflected most of, but a couple of them hit his arms as he grunted in annoyance before taking another swing at Tyrian as he landed himself back on his feet.

Tyrian smirked and took the chance to wrap his tail around Qrow's arm and forcefully pull the weapon out of the huntsman's hands, the weapon slamming into a wall several feet away. He laughed as Qrow was utterly defenseless, and reeled his arm back for a strike.

A bullet hit Tyrian right in the shoulder as he yelled out in pain and growled in annoyance at Ruby who fired more shots off at him that he now had no choice but to deflect with his tail.

Qrow looked to his hand and shrugged, taking this clear distraction as an opportunity to punch Tyrian right in the face, making the faunus reel back in pain.

He growled and prepared himself again for an attack, his arm now getting hit by a bullet Ruby fired as Qrow then punched him in the face two more times before kicking him. The kick sent him flying into a wall as Qrow then walked past him, shrugging his shoulders and flashing an 'Ok' sign to Ruby who smirked from her perch, reloading Crescent Rose now.

Tyrian growled more as Qrow was seemingly ignoring him to get his weapon, but then smirked when Qrow took hold of his weapon. He threw himself at Qrow again, Qrow however jumped over him and landed atop his weapon before transforming it into it's scythe form and firing a shot off that launched him up onto a roof where he stood atop a plank of wood that stood up from him pulling it up with him.

Tyrian stood himself back up and threw himself at the plank, breaking it in two as Qrow quickly transformed his weapon back into it's sword form and landed on the roof behind Tyrian charged at Qrow, clashing blades with him again and forcing him to retreat backwards.

A plank broke, but Tyrian was able to hook his tail on a sturdier plank where he would jump up and fire shots off at Qrow, who again transformed Harbinger into it's scythe form, deflecting the bullets with ease before clashing his scythe with Tyrian's blades and now launching Tyrian away from him before running to the other side of the roof as Tyrian jumped at him, only for the plank he landed on to break completely.

The huntsman leaped into the air with his scythe raised when suddenly Tyrian's tail wrapped itself around his leg and pulled him into the building.

Ruby was watching from her perch and grit her teeth before jumping off and firing a shot from Crescent Rose to slow her fall as she ran after Qrow.

_Pain  
Is your reward for being near me  
Fate  
Won't be your friend when I'm around_

The wall of the building shattered as Qrow was flung out of it, he threw Harbinger out and landed on it, looking into the building

_Blame  
Me for the Tragedies that follow  
Grave  
The Situations that surround_

Tyrian soon appeared out of the fog, his aura shattering now as he charged at Qrow with his weapons primed for attack. Qrow jumped off of Harbinger and charged forward at Tyrian before Ruby suddenly interjected, clashing blades with Tyrian.

"Ruby!" Jaune was about to rush in but Ren stopped him. "We have to help them!"

"No, we need to stay back Jaune." Ren glared at him and Nora looked at Jaune too and nodded, with Jaune sighing.

_I'm a harbinger,  
I cannot lie,  
I will change the color of your life_

"Do you Want to be taken?!" Tyrian asked with a laugh.

"No, but I also just won't stand by and let others fight for me!" Ruby insisted before charging forward.

_I don't mean to bring you pain  
But I will just why I can't explain_

Ruby clashed blades with Tyrian now and deflected the shots her fired off at her before she spun around and attempted to hit him with her scythe at the same time he tried to stab her with his stinger.

Qrow however, put himself between them, shoving Ruby back as he hit Tyrian's stinger and stood in front of her. "Ruby, I said get back!" Qrow insisted.

_I am no one's blessing  
I'll just bring you harm_

"This is my fight too!" Ruby glared as she swung her scythe at Tyrian who jumped over the attack.

"No, it's not that it's-" Qrow tried to argue but he had to rush in to defend Ruby as Tyrian lunged at Ruby, Ruby blocked the attack and Tyrian then drop kicked Ruby back several feet as a plank on a building was starting to come loose.

_I'm a cursed black cat,  
I'm an albatross,  
I'm a Mirror broken,  
Sad to say,  
I'm your Bad Luck Charm_

Tyrian slashed at Qrow, hitting him and shattering his Aura as the plank collapsed, diverting his attention completely before he leaped up and sliced it apart, landing in front of Ruby with an exhausted breath, but a smirk on his face before Tyrian's stinger suddenly slashed him across the stomach, ripping his clothes.

The air grew still as Ruby glared angrily at Tyrian now in this split second and she then hooked Crescent Rose around his tail and fired a shot off, slicing his stinger clean off.

Ruby immediately dropped her weapon and went to Qrow's side as Tyrian cried out in pain.

He attempted to fire a shot off at Ruby and Qrow, but only hit Jaune's shield as him, Nora and Ren stood between him, Ruby and Qrow.

"YOU BITCH!" he yelled out angrily at Ruby. "I'll-" he took a hesitant step back as Ren and Nora started walking towards him. "S-She'll forgive you!" Tyrian ran away now, practically with his tail tucked between his legs as the three members of JNR turned towards Ruby and Qrow.

"Uncle Qrow? Are you okay? Who was that guy?" Ruby asked.

"Just a scratch." Qrow assured, holding his gut as the gash from his wound was clearly a little deep.

"Why was he after Ruby?" Jaune asked.

"Who's this Salem person?" Ren asked.

"How'd you get here?" Nora asked.

Qrow just chuckled to himself. "What's your... Favorite fairy tale?"

* * *

The group sat around a campfire in the middle of the woods. "You know, it's a good thing that Jaune's horse dropped all it's supplies." Nora chuckled awkwardly.

"Good... Or unlucky." Qrow remarked as he tried to keep the flame going, but a sharp breeze nearly blew it out.

"Uncle Qrow. What do you mean? Why were you so focused on us staying away from you while we were fighting?" Ruby crossed her arms.

"Well you know the old saying? Crows bring bad luck?" he asked. "It's how I got my name. You see, my semblance is misfortune. It causes bad things to happen around me, and it doesn't discriminate friend from foe. I guess you could call me a bad luck charm." he explained as Jaune, Ren and Nora moved back from him. "Probably a smart idea."

"How are the bandages holding?" Ruby asked.

"All right." Qrow assured. "Now then, I suppose I owe you kids some answers, it's the least I can do after what you just went through." he noticed Ruby got the flame going again.

"Can you please tell us who this Salem is?" Jaune spoke up.

"I was just about to get to that." Qrow sighed. "I'm sure you're familiar with the tale of the two brothers." Qrow stated, leaning forward. "Two brothers, created Remnant, the brother of light and the brother of dark. The Brother's Grimm they're called. The brother of light made all the good in the world, the normal animals, the vegetation. The brother of dark created the bad in the world, chaos and Grimm, mainly to spite his brother. But the brothers eventually banded together in hopes of making peace by creating humanity, beings that could choose whether to be good or evil."

"It's a story I've been told since I was a kid." Jaune interjected.

"Yeah, well there's truth to it. For you see, the creatures of Grimm have someone in charge. Someone calling the shots, someone who's been at war with humanity for as long as we've been around." Qrow explained.

"Salem." Ruby narrowed her eyes.

"Is Salem one of the brothers?" Ren asked.

"No." Qrow shook his head. "She's... At least from what Oz told me, a failed creation, and what she wants is for humanity to burn. But to do that she needs to obtain the four relics. These four relics were created by the Brothers Grimm to aid humanity. Each of these relics is stored in a vault under each of the four major academies."

"Is that why Beacon was attacked?" Nora asked.

"What about that maiden stuff that Pyrrha told me about in the elevator back at Beacon? Is that all true?!" Jaune seemed angry now.

"It is. The maidens are the key to the vaults and they possess immense power that can be wielded without the need of aura or dust."

"Unbelievable..." Ren looked down.

"So Pyrrha died for this conflict." Jaune grit his teeth and gripped his fists tightly.

"What can we do now?" Nora asked.

"Well my best word of advice I suppose, would be to keep going. After all, we made it this far, didn't we?" Qrow chuckled darkly.

Ruby glanced up to her Uncle Qrow. "Uncle Qrow, is your semblance why you stayed away from us and only followed us from a distance?"

"Yes, I've also been keeping your path clear of Grimm for a while, although it doesn't look like I'll be doing that from a distance anymore. We're not too far out from Mistral anyways." he assured.

"How'd you get to us so quickly though? Since your semblance is bad luck and all." Nora was a little perplexed.

"Well Oz gifted me with the ability of flight. I can transform into a crow at will. It does come in handy more times than you think." Qrow chuckled a little before he saw Ruby yawn.

"We should get rest for now. We're going to need to do a lot of walking." he took a sip from his flask as he saw a raven watching him from a tree again and scoffed, leaning back against the tree.

* * *

Sounds of coughing woke up all of the group as the morning dawned upon them. Ruby rubbed the sleep from her eyes and saw that it was Qrow who was coughing.

She walked over as he held his hand out in front of him, his eyes going wide now. He had just coughed up some purple venom. "Oh..." his wound notably was bleeding the same purple venom.

* * *

The four members of the unofficially dubbed team RNJR were now walking in the direction of Mistral with a wounded Qrow being carried on a makeshift stretcher that Jaune and Ruby managed to cobble together.

"Tai..." Qrow muttered under his breath. "She's... Not coming back..."

He coughed again as Ruby looked down sadly before they came upon an intersection.

Ren's eyes went wide as they stopped. "Kuroyuri..." Ruby read the sign aloud.

Nora glanced over to Ren and put a hand on his shoulder before noticing the other name under the sign, pointing the other way. "Hey Mistral!"

"Mistral is just over that mountain pass." Ren affirmed. "C'mon we can go that way." he insisted.

"But there might be supplies we can use at Kuroyuri and it's a lot closer." Jaune reasoned. "Look, we need to help Qrow."

"We'll be able to get him help in Mistral." Ren insisted before gritting his teeth and looking down. "There's nothing there anymore."

"We have to at least try searching." Ruby insisted. "You two can go ahead to Mistral and get help. You'd probably make it there faster without us slowing you down."

"I don't want to leave you guys here. We should stick together." Ren looked towards the path to Mistral.

"We'll be fine, Ren." Ruby assured. "Just because Uncle Qrow is unlucky, doesn't mean anything bad'll happen to us. I promise."

"Promise us you'll be safe too, Jaune." Ren glanced towards his team's leader.

"Of course. We'll be waiting for you once you've returned with help." Jaune nodded.

"Be safe you guys." Nora waved off as her and Ren started towards the path to Mistral.

"You as well!" Ruby called out before focusing on carrying the stretcher in the direction of Kuroyuri, the two not realizing that they were stepping over a massive hoof print...

* * *

**Commentary**: Certain things are just clarified better here, like the effect of Qrow's semblance mainly that Ren picks up on rather quickly. Ruby's also not a horrible shot when she starts sniping. Essentially I combined a couple of different chapter's events here from the original. Next time we check up on RNJR it won't necessarily be Ruby that's the R focused on in the chapter.


	14. Chapter 14: Breaking Free

White Light enveloped the room as Weiss had cleared a space out for her training. She was focusing more currently on glyphs and more specifically her summoning.

She focused on her glyph intently and was noticing something starting to come out of it when the door to her room opened and she stopped and turned to see Whitley by the door. "What do you want?" she glared.

"Oh nothing. I was just checking in on you, to make sure you don't try anything." he chuckled. "I mean we can't take your semblance away unfortunately." Whitley rolled his eyes.

"Well I'm not going anywhere. the fact that I haven't moved these past few days should tell you that I've accepted that much. I'm not allowed to have at least this one thing?" she scoffed at her brother.

"Now, I didn't say that. But I'm glad you know your place now." Whitley chuckled. "You can do that all you want, not that it'll ever be relevant for you again. I did also want to report that since I became the heir that I've gotten a taste of the business side of things and well it's unfortunate General Ironwood has that little embargo of his now. It's made father quite furious."

"Whitley, can you go bother someone who actually cares about that?" Weiss crossed her arms.

"Okay, fine sister." Whitley turned and walked out the door. "But the point still stands." he turned towards her. "You're not running away like Winter did. You're here and you'll be here till you wake up and face reality."

His words now mirrored their father's as Weiss slammed the door on him and grit her teeth before creating the glyph again and starting to calm herself down.

* * *

Day eventually gave way to night as Klein entered Weiss's room for 'cleaning duty'. "Madame." he approached Weiss, who was currently staring out the window at the moving ships and few soldiers lead by Yukio patrolling around the outside of the manor.

"Yes Klein?" Weiss asked as she looked to face him.

"Get your weapon ready. We depart tonight." he told her.

"What about the guards?" Weiss asked.

"I may or may not have given then a little drink for their hard work at safeguarding you, claiming it was from your father." Klein winked. "They're very much out of it now in front of your door."

"Are you sure?" Weiss asked.

"Positive." Klein took her hand as she stepped out into the hallway with him and saw the two guards sleeping on top of each other with two empty bottles of wine.

Weiss then took another step before Klein stopped her and pointed to her heels.

"Oh, right." Weiss slipped them off.

"Wait till you get outside madame. You did that last time to get outside, remember? It'd be a shame of all this planning to go to waste because you didn't take off yer darn heels." his eyes flashed an angry color again. "Now then we goin' or what?" he lead her along now.

"Now then, I can't be seen with you while doing this, so I'll have to go on ahead. Your brother's a slippery fellow and he'd likely report me and you walking by his room in an instant." he explained. "Just stay low and cut around your father's office to get to the library. I'll meet you there. I do have to make some last second preparations as well."

Klein then went off ahead of her. Weiss let out a sigh. "It just had to be father's office." she lamented before she started in that direction.

Weiss quietly made her way down the hallway, ducking by as a night staff member walked by her. "Right... They'll report me to father as well." she muttered under her breath before continuing down the hallway, unfortunately this stretch of hall was the most open, but it was also the last stretch of hallway right before the library. She started to walk past her father's office now, she could make out Klein in the distance, waving to her from the library. The sound of arguing could be heard from the office.

"James, you're going to kill my business with this embargo!" Jacques argued.

"This embargo is going to save Atlas AND your business in the long run." the General reasoned. "You see, I have a project planned that will not only secure the safety of our Kingdom, but it will also ensure that it thrives." he looked towards him. "All I need is the time that this embargo will grant us to prepare for it."

"Prepare for it?! James, you're making it sound like you're planning on going to war!" Jacques slammed his fist onto the table.

"War? Well with that topic in mind. Who would you be wanting to fund for a war, Jacques?" Ironwood crossed his arms. "Would you fund your country's own military? Or would you be even willing to sell to the same people that would likely want to shoot you dead on sight? Now I'm not saying that there will be a war. But in the event of one? What would you pick?"

Jacques furrowed his eyebrows. "I see your point James. But still, this embargo better end quickly so my business can make up for all the losses this will bring."

"it will benefit you and all the people of Atlas in the long run, I can assure you." Ironwood started towards the door.

"I have my doubts." Jacques leaned back in his chair.

"You're entitled to them. Just so long as you know that what I do stays. Good night to you, Jacques." Ironwood went to open the door.

Weiss on the other side of it panicked and used a gravity well glyph to hold it shut before quickly rushing over towards the other side of the hallway, holding the glyph on the door.

"That's weird." Ironwood tried pushing at the door. "The knob's turning but it's stuck."

"What do you mean, it's stuck?" Jacques sat up now.

"I mean something's propped it shut!" he slammed into the door harsher, but it wouldn't budge He did it again and finally got it open.

He looked around in the hallway and down towards the library but saw no signs of anyone that could have done this.

"Sorry about the door." he apologized to Jacques as he then made his way out of the manor.

Back in the Library, Klein and Weiss went around a corner towards the bookshelf near the back and pushed at a hidden hinge, revealing a secret passage. "This is as far as I can take you madame." he held Weiss's heels up for her that she put on. "Just make your way over to the address I marked on your scroll. There's a hangar there with a pilot waiting to get you out."

"KLEIN!" Jacques called out to him from the distance, thankfully not within earshot of him and Weiss.

"Klein." Weiss pulled him into a hug. "You'll always be family to me." she smiled.

"Of course, Madame, I am always here for you." Klein smiled back before turning towards where Jacques was. "On my way, Master Jacques!" he ran over towards him as the passage door closed behind Weiss.

* * *

Weiss made her way down the passage without a word and continued till she was just outside of the property now. It's likely that she'd be found out as missing soon so she started to run, keeping her head down now as she did so. She had to get halfway across Atlas without being spotted, which was considerably hard considering her status as a Schnee.

"Keep your head down Weiss." she muttered under her breath as she was taking a route Klein had recommended she take till she came upon the large building on an Airstrip that was the hangar. "This is the address. Hangar 4..." she closed her scroll, looking up at the massive building that stood before her. However, before she could get any closer, a light shone on her. "WHAT?! Again?! NO!"

Weiss immediately unclipped Myrtenaster from her belt as 3 airships rolled up with several soldiers all jumping out of it, with Specialist Kori landing in front of her, eyes narrowed. "How did you find me?!"

"You honestly didn't think I wouldn't install a tracker on your scroll?" Yukio crossed her arms.

"When did you-" Weiss thought back. "It was when I was knocked out, wasn't it?"

"Smart girl." Yukio smirked. "I gotta say, I'm surprised. You made it further than last time, Schnee. Let me guess. You have a pilot paid off in there ready to fly you out to meet your sister."

"..." Weiss didn't say a word.

"Heh, I thought so. You know, it's illegal to leave Atlas now. But your father won't let me cause a scene with you, so you should be grateful." Yukio put a hand on her hip

"Ya know." Weiss looked down. "I'd rather be in jail then spend another day in that mansion." she glared now.

"Well that's too bad then. Because that's the only place you're going back to." Yukio had her hand ready on her rapier. "Now then, we can repeat last time... Or you can make this easier for me. I could care less either way."

Light blue eyes glistened as they looked up towards the sky before Weiss firmly held Myrtenaster forward, glaring at Yukio. "You should know I'm not the one to make things easy."

"No, I suppose not." Yukio looked to her soldiers who all had their weapons trained on Weiss. "Lower your weapons, I'll deal with this myself." she stretched and removed her rapier from her holster. "I need to teach this brat a lesson she won't soon forget."

The air grew still again as the ground froze beneath Yukio's feet in a circle.

Weiss readied her stance with Myrtenaster, the two just staring each other off now before Yukio dashed forward. Weiss thrust Myrtenaster forward, clashing blades with her as she sped past her.

She turned to face Yukio now as she attempted to stab at her from behind, Weiss raised Myrtenaster up to block her attack as she then slashed downward and Yukio stomped her foot down, creating a wall of ice to block the attack that scraped against it now before Weiss then stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground and shattered the ice in front of her.

This however, only gave Yukio and opening to kick her in the face and knock her back. Weiss stood back up and held a firm stance before now sliding forward on a glyph at Yukio who slid herself forward on ice she made under her feet, clashing blades with her, the two would charge at each other and clash several times before Weiss jumped up into the air attempted to stab at her from above. Yukio, pressing a button on her rapier, slashed upwards and created a thin wall of ice in front of her, deflecting the attack and knocking Weiss away from her, Weiss catching herself quickly however.

"So you are skilled with ice." Weiss remarked.

"Of course I am. It is part of my semblance after all." Yukio smirked as she took a breath, her breath was visible as a white mist as she then put a hand to the ground and froze it around her and Weiss, stopping just short of the other soldiers who took a step back out of fear of getting caught up or slipping.

"So am I." Weiss smirked back to her.

_Amazing how you conquered me,  
Chained me in servility,  
And made me see_

Yukio skated forward now toward Weiss, who boosted herself into the air with a glyph to jump over her attack, flipping herself upwards as she now looked down at Yukio who glanced up at her with anger in her dark blue eyes.

_The world the way you told me to,  
But I was young and didn't have a way to know the truth_

Weiss landed and skated herself forward, slashing upwards at Yukio who blocked it with more ice. She kept up the assault however, starting to slice around Yukio as she kept blocking her attacks with ice or her rapier, the ice starting to shatter from the force of Weiss's attacks.

_Born to live your legacy,  
Existing just to fill your needs,  
A casualty  
_  
The specialist was mostly surrounded in a sphere of ice before she then slammed her foot down again and and exploded the ice around her, sending shards flying everywhere. Her soldiers managed to avoid it, but Weiss got caught up in part of the blast and was knocked onto her back.

_Of this so called family,  
That you have turned into a travesty_

Weiss sat herself up on Myrtenaster and readied it. "I'm better with more than just ice though." Myrtenaster's barrel spun and it landed on the green dust barrel.

_But I don't intend to suffer any longer  
Here's where your dominion falls apart_

Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground and out of it sprouted roots that started to break the ice around her on the ground, Yukio stomped her foot down more, fighting it as Weiss stood up and switched her weapon's dust again.

_I'm shattering the mirror,  
That kept me split in pieces,  
That stood between my mind and my heart_

It was now on burn dust as she then slashed outwards with it, creating a wave of fire that Yukio tried to block but was knocked back by, knocking her to the ground.

_This is where I'll start!_

Yukio sat up, her hair looking messed up and disheveled now as her calm demeanor was now gone. "GRAB HER NOW!" she demanded angrily as the soldiers aimed their weapons at Weiss again, who turned her attention towards them. She was surrounded.

"There's no way I can take them all." Weiss grunted in annoyance as she took a step back.

"You're not going anywhere Weiss Schnee!" Yukio laughed, picking herself up off of the ground. "You're staying here in Atlas, whether you want to or not! I'll make sure your father locks you in your room and no one can come in!" she started to freeze the ground again, this time the ice was starting to creep up Weiss's legs, trapping her in place now.

"And I gotta say I liked you better when you weren't so angry looking!" a familiar voice interjected from the distance.

A sound wave fired out of a familiar trumpet that launched a few of the soldiers into the air several feet away, or knocked them into others.

Neon Katt and Flynt Coal approached with Neon cracking her Nunchucks that were now glowing orange. She then slammed them into the ice Weiss was encased in and smiled to her. "HIYA WEISS!" Neon smiled.

"Flynt? Neon? Why are you here?!" Weiss asked.

"Let's just say someone's lookin' out for ya." Flynt smirked, adjusting his hat before turning towards Yukio and the soldiers who were now standing themselves up.

"I know you two. You're students at Atlas! What would General Ironwood say if I reported you two raising up arms against one of his specialists?!" Yukio threatened.

"Well, he'd no doubt be more disappointed in you. After all, allocating Atlas resources for a private security job like this? That's a big no-no for the General right now." Flynt shook his head. "We're the Atlas Military, not Atlas Private Security." he chuckled.

"You wouldn't dare." Yukio grit her teeth.

"Oh but we TOTALLY would!" Neon laughed.

The disheveled Specialist turned towards her soldiers. "Fire on them, don't let them escape!" she demanded as her soldiers opened fire on the three.

"Weiss, Go." Flynt insisted.

"But you guys." Weiss frowned.

"It's alright, we'll have General Ironwood here soon, but you need to leave before that, because he's not letting any ship leave Atlas." Flynt explained as Neon was busy diverting enemy fire. "Now then, if you'll excuse me." he played his trumpet again as Weiss nodded and ran into the entrance to the hangar now.

Yukio narrowed her eyes as Weiss entered the building and started to back away from her soldiers and start in the direction of the hangar, going around the outside.

* * *

"Okay Weiss, hangar bay four..." she muttered to herself under her breath as she looked at all the signs, walking by the other hangars that had airships and cargo ships loaded inside before finally coming to a stop at her hangar. "Klein said it's the only ship in the hangar..." she saw the cargo ship and opened the door into the hangar, approaching the pilot who was waiting right outside of the ship.

"Are you my pilot?" Weiss asked.

"Why yes, I am kid." the man chuckled. "You have my half of pay for this part of the trip?" he asked as Weiss took out a decent stack of lien cards that made his eyes go wide before he took it. "That'll due. Alright." he spoke into his headset while putting it on. "Open cargo bay door number 4."

Weiss let out a sigh of relief as she sat herself in the cargo hold of the ship while the gate started to open. However, the gate would suddenly stop.

"That's odd... Hey, did you open cargo bay door Number 4-" the pilot stopped as he then looked to Weiss. "It's the military." he glanced to her.

"What?!" Weiss stepped out of the airship and saw none other than Atlesian Specialist, Yukio Kori, standing right in front of the cargo bay gate, the mechanism for opening it was frozen shut now as she smirked.

"I told you, Weiss Schnee! You're going nowhere!" she yelled as Weiss, now gripping Myrtenaster stepped forward.

"I'll go deal with her." Weiss assured. "Then we'll leave."

Yukio screamed, freezing a large radius of the floor around her before skating towards Weiss with her rapier drawn and firing bullets out that Weiss blocked with a glyph.

Weiss then focused herself and created a Time dilation glyph below her feet before dashing past Yukio and striking her side, knocking her back. She quickly recovered and slashed upwards at Weiss, creating an ice spike out of the ground that sent the ex-heiress flying before she caught herself on a glyph and jumped to the ground, realizing what she needed to do now.

_Shame that it took so long,  
To rescue Me  
From the guilt you used to tie me to your family tree!_

Weiss created another summoning glyph as Yukio started to attack her, and she had to return her focus towards dodging. She then remade the glyph behind herself.

_I guess your training failed,  
You're not in charge,  
I'm free  
Your patriarchal prison won't hold me!_

Weiss now dodged all the attacks Yukio was throwing her way, all of her thrusts, slashes and gunfire before her glyph glowed brighter than it had before and Yukio's eyes widened.

_Now this conversation's fin'ly over  
Mirror, Mirror now we're done!_

A large summoned Suit of armor flew out of the Glyph and towards Yukio, who backflipped away from it as it landed in front of Weiss, it appeared to be just as tall as her.

_I've pulled myself together now,  
My mind and heart are one!_

The Arma Gigas Summon nodded to Weiss, taking it's sword out of another glyph that appeared out of the ground. She then charged forward, boosting her own speed with a time dilation glyph as her and her summon approached Yukio, who had her rapier raised up defensively.

_Finally One!_

Yukio gasped as many propulsion glyphs appeared around her, as Weiss then launched herself at Yukio, her Arma Gigas vanishing as it dashed as well before briefly reappearing on Yukio's flank and slashing at her the same time Weiss did.

_I'M NOT YOUR PET  
NOT ANOTHER THING YOU OWN,  
I WAS NOT BORN GUILTY OF YOUR CRIMES!_

Weiss kept bounding off of her glyphs and slashing through Yukio's defenses despite her best efforts to shield herself from the impending attacks. making her stagger and stumble around as each hit impacted. The Arma Gigas would appear to attack Yukio's open side, mirroring Weiss's own attacks with it's sword and knocking Yukio's rapier from her hands.  
_  
YOUR RICHES AND YOUR INFLUENCE CAN'T HOLD ME ANYMORE,  
I WONT BE POSSESSED,  
BURDENED BY YOUR ROYAL TEST,  
I WILL NOT SURRENDER  
THIS LIFE IS MINE!_

After Weiss bounded off the last Glyph she was in front of Yukio, whom had encased herself in a barrier of ice entirely. The Arma Gigas appeared in front of her and slashed upwards with it's sword and shattered Yukio's barrier of ice, also knocking her into the air as Weiss then used a propulsion glyph to boost herself into the air before landing on a gravity well glyph that aimed her at Yukio before she then turned it into a propulsion one and launched herself at Yukio with her rapier pointing forward, hitting her and sending her flying into the mechanism she froze shut.

The ice shattered and Yukio fell forward onto the ground, her aura shattering as she held her gut in pain before Weiss walked back into the airship.

"Let's go now." Weiss insisted as the pilot nodded, closing the cargo hold doors and the ship took off.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Yukio lamented as she sat herself down, watching the ship fly off into the distance.

Weiss took a deep breath as she leaned back on the window, watching as Atlas and the Schnee manor would shrink away from her line of sight.

* * *

**Commentary**: Here we have Weiss's finale for this Volume. I admit, I had a lot of fun writing out this finale fight and using the rest of "This Life is Mine" for it. Neon and Flynt giving Weiss the assist was fun, and Weiss actually winning a 1 on 1 fight was neat, although still not the first time she has one a 1v1 fight with someone if you'll remember back to Volume 1 of my rewrite where she beat Ruby.


	15. Chapter 15: For Shame

"This is your fault, Blake." Adam's voice echoed in her head as she sat up and looked around, breathing heavily before looking around the room and realizing she was home. She laid back down and just looked at the ceiling before checking her scroll. It was already past noon. She forced herself out of bed and quickly put her coat back on.

She walked out into the dining room where her father was reading something on his scroll before he looked up towards her. "Ah, Blake, good to see you're awake." he smiled and pat the spot next to him. "Your mother made you some breakfast."

Blake looked to the table to see a bowl of oatmeal and pouted.

"Look, I may be the Chieftan of Menagerie, but that doesn't mean I can't let my daughter miss out on some much needed fiber." he chuckled as Blake sat down and started eating. "You used to pout just like that when you were little."

"Dad..." Blake was feeling embarrassed now.

"What? I mean I could have easily spoken about this to your friend." Ghira took a sip from his tea.

"Where is Sun anyway?" Blake asked as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"He went to get groceries with your mother. He seemed really eager to prove himself to me." Ghira explained as he stood up. "I suppose I have been a little harsh on him. But I mean isn't it my job as your father?"

Blake let out a sigh. before standing up and walking over to her father and hugging him suddenly. "I'm sorry."

"Blake..."

"I'm so very sorry, Dad." she apologized. "I'm sorry I left home, and I'm sorry I was mad with you and I'm sorry I never even called back home when I left the White Fang." she sobbed into his shoulder as he hugged her back.

Ghira took a deep breath and hugged her back. "It's alright. Why don't we talk about it? I'm sure the village officials won't be too grumpy if we use the lounge for just a little while." he lead her along with him now as she wiped her face dry.

* * *

Sun and Kali were wandering about the market and Sun was notably holding a crate that Kali was just filling to the brim with things. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Kali grabbed a couple of large tuna fish and added them to the crate. "It's for Blake's favorite dish!" she smiled as Sun finally fell over with the crate, thankfully not tipping it over as Kali then picked it up with relative ease.

"And here I thought you were a hunky strong man that wanted to be with Blake." Kali chuckled.

"W-What?! N-No, it's nothing like that Mrs. B!" Sun assured.

"It's okay, you don't have to hide it." she shook a hand with a chuckle.

"It really isn't though." Sun scratched the back of his head. "I just figured Blake needed a friend to look out for her, ya know?" he then looked and saw a White Fang recruitment poster on a wall and ripped it off of the wall. "Is this for real?"

"The White Fang serves as the guard here in Menagerie. Think of it like Atlas's Military." Kali explained. "We almost had our own academy established here, but we unfortunately didn't get the support nor the proper resources to construct it."

"I see..." Sun looked down.

"Most of us here on Menagerie just want to live peaceful carefree lives. We don't want conflict here. It's actually rather nice than being out in the rest of Remnant." Kali looked at a few things a fruit stand had.

"Even if it's really crowded to the point of not having elbow room?" Sun asked as a couple of children shoved past him and as he attempted to lower his arms a man brushed past him. "S-Sorry!" Sun apologized as the man huffed.

"Yeah, even then. It's still more peaceful here than any other Kingdom." Kali reasoned as she then saw something that caught her eye. "Heads up!" she tossed the crate back into Sun's hands as he again struggled to hold it.

"H-How does she do this?!" Sun lamented as he could have sworn out of the corner of his eye he saw the glint of something, but it wasn't clear enough for him to make out.

In a nearby dark corner stood Ilia, camouflaged and taking pictures with her scroll.

* * *

Blake and Ghira sat in the town hall's lounge where there were several couches, a coffee table and various decorations hanging from the wall. On the coffee table was the tea tray that Ghira had brought from the dining room.

"Blake, you can continue wherever you feel like. The day you left us, the day you left the White Fang or the day you joined up at Beacon." Ghira assured her as he put a hand on her shoulder.

Blake took a deep breath as she looked to the cup of tea she brought with her. "Well. I suppose I should just tell you that everything you think you know about what the White Fang is up to now, is probably wrong."

"I'm inclined to believe you, sweetie." Ghira assured her.

"Adam isn't the man I thought he was. You were right about him." Blake leaned back on the couch. "He was clearly just hungry for power... Though it felt like more than that when I encountered him at Beacon." she shook her head. "He wanted nothing more than to make me suffer. He... He even threatened to destroy everything and everyone I love. That's why I ran." Blake confessed. "It's my fault my teammate Yang lost her arm, it's my fault Adam even went down this path, and it's my fault that I didn't listen to you."

"Blake. We all make mistakes." Ghira looked to her. "But it's when we learn from those mistakes that we grow. I don't believe you made the wrong choices. Sure you made some mis-steps along the way. But your heart was always in the right place and your mother and I don't blame you for running off."

"But Adam and everything he did." Blake wiped more tears from her eyes.

"Adam was an interesting case." Ghira took a deep breath. "When he joined us, he was hurt and in all honesty he never stopped hurting. But the day he killed his first human, something in him awoken that I tried to quell. Sienna however, encouraged it and eventually self defense turned to intentional murder. It's what made me step down from the White Fang. Sienna was winning favor and taking influence with her more violent methods. She actually was getting results too and I couldn't fault them."

"Dad, you didn't have to quit though." Blake put a hand on his shoulder.

"Believe me, I didn't want to give up on the White Fang. But the moment Sienna took over from me, I knew that I had no support. When she had the most support, I was threatened to step down and being the pacifist I am, I stepped down." he confessed.

"So that's why you left."

"Yes. It had nothing to do with me not believing in the cause anymore, but rather Sienna's ideology, and if what you're telling me about Adam is true then he's taken her ideology to it's most extreme and it's only a matter of time before he does permanent damage..." Ghira stood up.

"The White Fang was also just heavily involved in Beacon. It wasn't just a splinter group, it was practically the entire Vale Branch." Blake added.

"So it isn't just a splinter group like the Albains said. This is bad." Ghira shook his head. "How could I be so complacent." he rubbed his temples.

"Dad, don't beat yourself up." Blake insisted.

"Why shouldn't I though? I've become the very thing that I swore I wouldn't, I've become a coward."

"Dad, if anyone here's a coward, it's me." she pressed. "I ran away from all I had at Beacon and ran right to you. I... I probably brought all the danger to your door as well." her ears flattened against her head before suddenly the door opened suddenly and in the room entered Sun and Kali.

"C-Can someone please help... Grocery crate... Heavy..." Sun was about to fall over but, Blake immediately rushed over to help him get the crate into the residential section of the town hall.

Ghira looked over to Kali with a serious expression. She looked back to him and sighed. "I see you had a talk with her too."

* * *

After putting the groceries away, preparing and having dinner, the two younger faunus stepped out onto the Balcony out by the back of the town hall as the sun was setting now.

"You know Blake it's ridiculous that your parents can only use so little of the space here as their home." Sun crossed his arms.

"Well, my parents are modest like that." Blake admitted. "They wouldn't want to have the biggest house on the street while everyone else lives packed together. I mean relatively speaking they still have more living space, but they still try and live like everyone else."

"They do remind me a lot of you in that sense, Blake." Sun chuckled.

"Oh? How so?" Blake crossed her arms.

"Well I mean apart from the obvious stuff like appearance, they can be reserved like you, are very informative and can be scary when provoked, even unintentionally."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she glared at him now as he chuckled nervously.

"Y-Yeah, like that." Sun took a step away but then Blake chuckled a little.

"You know, Sun there was a reason I ran away from everyone at Beacon." she looked down.

"Why's that?" he asked as his eyes scanned around the scenery, things were getting rather dark.

"It was because of what Adam said, because-" Blake was cut short as Sun suddenly pulled her downwards and put a finger to his lips telling her to quiet down.

"What is it?" Blake asked.

"Can't you hear it?" Sun pointed to one of her ears as she then listened in. Blake could make out whispering.

"I've lost eye contact with the target." a voice stated from the distance.

"Sun, this is bad." Blake noted as Kali stepped outside and saw the two huddled up under the deck she had a tray of tea with her as well.

"Oh? What's going on you two?" Kali asked.

"Shh." Blake put a finger to her lips and pointed to her ear and out back, signaling for her Mom to listen in as well out in the direction she pointed.

"Mrs. Belladonna has stepped outside, she's stopped for some reason. Has she spotted me? Should I fall back?" the voice asked as Kali then turned away from Blake and Sun. "I'll get your weapon, Blake."

Sun and Blake stood up and looked to each other before Sun briefly glanced over in the direction of the voice, finally spotting the camouflaged figure standing in the shadow of a palm tree, right on top of a shorter one.

The figure stood up now, realizing she was spotted.

"We have to go now." Blake insisted, jumping over the balcony.

"But your weapon!" Sun pointed out.

"No time!" Blake looked up towards him. "You have your's don't you?!"

"Well, yes." Sun let out a sigh and followed after her in pursuit of the camouflaged figure, removing his staff from where it was holstered up his shirt.

Blake jumped and bounded off one of her own shadow clones, now pursuing the figure onto a roof as they then took out a weapon from their belt and slashed out with it, the weapon being an electric whip.

Blake had a clone take one of this figure's hits before trying to close the distance as the figure then slashed out at a pipe on the roof, in front of Blake and blinding her with a mist while Sun, with his staff in hand charged in and hit her, slamming her back into another pipe as Blake then stepped out of the fog.

Her mask fell off her face, shattering on the ground and revealing it to be someone all too familiar to Blake. "Ilia." she glared as Ilia then aimed her rapier-Whip out at her before feeling around her pocket for her scroll.

"Looking for this?" Sun smirked, holding it up.

"Give that back!" she demanded now as Sun then threw it to Blake, who caught it while Ilia lashed out her whip at him. Sun blocked it with a spin of his staff and made an attempt to attack her again, however she instead dodged and aimed for Blake.

Blake rolled out of the way of one attack and uppercutted Ilia, knocking her backwards as Sun then attempted to poke her with one of the ends of his staff that she rolled back from to dodge before standing herself up again.

Blake put the scroll away into her pocket as Ilia grit her teeth in anger. "You should never have come back here Blake. We know you're here and soon Adam will."

"Since when did you take orders from Adam?" Blake stepped forward.

"Since he became the new high leader." Ilia smirked. "Of course that isn't public knowledge yet. But when it is the people of Menagerie will be turning to him."

"When did Sienna Khan step down?!" Blake demanded to know as Ilia took some steps forward.

"She didn't step down, Blake. A human huntsman killed her!" she lashed her whip out at Blake, hitting her and electrocuting her as she fell back to the ground, the scroll slipping out of her pocket.

Ilia picked it up with a smirk as Sun glared and rushed forward again. Ilia dodged Sun's attack quickly and threw the scroll up into the air while backflipping away from a downward swipe at her feet. She swung her weapon's whip form out again and hit Sun, knocking him to the side before catching the scroll.

"Adam will change things for the better." Ilia argued before suddenly two bright colored clones of Sun threw themselves at her and tackled her to the ground.

"How could you agree with him, Ilia?" Blake argued as she stood herself up.

"Because he knows! He knows what it was like! What my parents went through in the mines!" she yelled as she then stabbed through one of Sun's clones while the other vanished at the same time Sun's aura shattered and he fell to one knee.

"Ilia..." Blake stood up as she looked to the scroll in her hand.

"We're done here." she stated as she took a step back from Blake.

"No..." Sun leaned on his staff. "You're not getting away with-" he raised his staff up to attack but suddenly his heart would be struck by Ilia's weapon extending out as he then fell over to the ground, motionless.

"SUN!" Blake screamed out, rushing to his side as she then glared up at Ilia.

"Goodbye Blake." Ilia stabbed her weapon into a pipe that cloaked her escape in a mist.

Blake turned her attention to Sun. "Please not again... Please..." she held his hand up as she took out her scroll to dial for help when she realized that the scroll that she had wasn't her's. "Ilia's scroll..." she took a deep breath but then dialed for help with it.

* * *

**Commentary**: So this chapter wen't a bit differently, namely in that combat exchange but also the talks Blake had this chapter. Don't worry, she's not gonna be as dismissive or rude to Sun as she was in the original.


	16. Chapter 16: Fuel to the Flames

sip from his water bottle now. "Great sandwiches by the way."

"Thanks." Yang giggled a little. "I'm sure you guys'll be just fine in Atlas. Although I'm not sure how good you'll be at keeping warm."

"Me? Keep warm? Pfft, I'll be fine..." Alix shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, My Mom has a coat for me but it probably looks dumb on me."

"I'm sure it's fine." Yang stood up and stretched before turning over towards him. "Say Alix, would you mind helping me out a little today?"

"Sure, what do you need?" he stood himself up as well.

"I want to try watching that security footage again."

"Are you sure?" Alix asked.

"Yes." Yang nodded. "I need to do this in case I ever do face him."

Alix went to hook up his scroll to the TV again.

"I've gotten a little better at controlling my... episodes." Yang explained as her left hand started shaking the moment Adam appeared on the screen. She held her hand and steadied it with her prosthetic, taking a deep breath.

"Just let me know if it's too much." Alix sat down next to her as the footage started up again.

"I will." Yang assured before she then focused on the footage. It was the same footage as before ending with the attack that he used to slice her arm off and him shooting the camera.

"So were you able to pick anything up from that?" the other blonde asked her.

"He's fast. But I still don't get that semblance. How does he have that much power?" Yang shook her head. "How can anyone have that much power and just be able to deal it out without taking a single hit? I'd get it if it was like my semblance and he took hits to boost his power. It looks a little similar to mine, but it's not the same because he would have gotten hit if it was."

"What's to say that he didn't get hit prior? He may have even gotten hit prior to his run in with my team at Beacon." Alix reasoned.

"I don't know, just something about it seemed off. The way he ran into enemy fire like that and was able to deflect it all like nothing." Yang shook her head.

"I mean when I fought him at Beacon I was at least able to deduce that his semblance is activated when his hair is glowing like that, only because of how many times I've sparred against you." Alix scratched the back of his head. "Honestly, if it weren't for me picking up on that, Ember and I probably would have died. Speaking of which... There is another thing I've been meaning to discuss with you."

"What would that be?" Yang stood herself up as Alix disconnected his scroll from the TV.

"Blake. I know you don't like the topic but-"

"Stop there." Yang stated. "I don't want to think about her. She left me by myself, Alix. She ran off." she held her head. "Even when I told her I had issues with people abandoning me because of my Mother."

"Maybe she had a reason to run off though." Alix insisted.

"The ends don't justify the means, Alix." she started towards the door. "Now then, would you like to spar me?" she clearly changed the subject.

"Fine." Alix followed after her, knowing he was getting nowhere with this discussion.

* * *

Adam Taurus stood tall, in a new outfit as he was preparing himself for his meeting with Sienna Khan.

"If you want me to compliment your looks, I'm not going to bother." Hazel crossed his arms.

"I didn't need your flattery anyway." Adam chuckled.

"Now then, you've been shirking around this issue for a while. What is your plan for our negotiations with Sienna Khan?" Hazel pressed. "Why do you need your sword with you?"

"Why do I need my sword? Well, it's a part of the look." Adam smirked. "Your Master will be impressed with my actions." he assured. "The only reason I'm not telling you a word of my plan is because I intend to show you rather than tell you."

"Tread carefully, Adam Taurus. For the moment you do something against the wishes of my master, you will live to regret it even if the regret doesn't come immediately." the large man warned.

"I mean the main goal is to gather forces to aid in felling Haven academy and the entire Kingdom of Mistral, correct?" Adam asked.

"That would be true." Hazel confirmed.

"Then trust me, my large companion." he put a hand on Hazel's shoulder with a smirk on his face. "All will work out in your master's favor. Now then, come with me for this."

* * *

Alix stabbed at Yang with his now repaired dagger, this time she was easily able to catch his wrist with each stab he threw in her direction. "Wow, glad you got that thing fixed!" Yang chuckled.

"I know, right? I left it's new partner at home, but man this thing feels great again!" he then slashed downwards at her, but only hit her prosthetic arm as she then punched him in the stomach, making him stagger back.

"Something about fighting you today feels different than it did the other day." Alix admitted.

"Dad gave me some good pointers for how to mix things up more." Yang explained as Alix clashed his dagger with her prosthetic arm before he then phased through a punch she threw at him and jumped at her with a kick aimed to her side..

Yang caught it and tossed Alix off of her, knocking him onto his back.

He stood himself up and raised up his dagger before holding it back handed and attempting to slash at her again, this time however, Yang merely stuck a leg out and tripped him, making him stumble over himself and break his aura.

"Well, you definitely got me there." Alix grunted as Yang offered a hand to him. "Glad to see you back on your feet." he smiled and took her hand, getting back up. "Now if only we could do something about the whole thing involving people hating you."

"To be honest I've been thinking." Yang crossed her arms. "I've been thinking that maybe people hating me is something I could use. I mean think about it, it's less people I have to willingly interact with, right?"

"It's also more people you might have to unwillingly fight." Alix added.

"Eh, well they'll need to get in line then." Yang chuckled, holding a fist out for Alix.

"Damn straight they will. But don't forget to leave some for me." Alix fist bumped her.

"Only if you can keep up." Yang chuckled. "I'll let you know when I'm leaving tomorrow." she assured.

With that Alix left and Yang looked around the house before letting out a sigh and walking to the shed out back where she would do her usual maintenance on Bumblebee. This time however, she took out a couple of cans of spray paint along some cardboard.

After a few moments of spraying she wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked down to her now painted prosthetic arm.

* * *

The next morning, Yang stepped outside, wearing a new outfit. It had a nice leather jacket, a large collar, pants and long coat tails attached to her legs. She also wore her remaining Ember Celica gauntlet.

She entered the shed, and attached her painted prosthetic arm before starting to wheel out Bumblebee.

However, just as she exited the shed, her father stood in front of her now.

"You've only had a couple of days of training." Taiyang crossed his arms. "Are you really sure you're ready to go?"

"Dad, I need to go." Yang insisted.

"I know. I'll determine if you're ready. Here and now." he stated. "Sparring match, you and me. No guns. Just fists. If you win, you're ready enough."

"Fine." Yang nodded, removing her coat tails and Ember Celica Gauntlet before stepping forward...

* * *

**Commentary**: More progression with Yang's training along with proper build up to her finale. I do feel like it's important to show this stuff rather than just tell it. This is the chapter where Yang's training starts to take a more positive turn. Also the short time skip does give me an excuse to not have to explain how Yang knows so much about Raven to the audience later on, although that's not really gonna factor in too much till next Volume.


	17. Chapter 17: Kuroyuri

Kuroyuri didn't feel quite the same as Oniyuri did the previous day, in fact it felt even worse, the air was oddly cold enough to where Ruby and Jaune could see their own breaths.

"Something feels wrong here." Ruby admitted, as she looked to her uncle.

"Yeah, I feel it too." Jaune agreed. "It feels like this place is almost... Haunted..."

The pair stopped under a tree as Ruby knelt next to her Uncle and frowned. "Jaune, can you stay here and keep watch of my Uncle while I try and find supplies around here?"

"Sure. But let me know if you need help for anything." Jaune nodded as Ruby started towards a building that had a hospital sign on it. She crossed a bridge, but stopped for a moment when she saw a dead lotus flower sitting atop the dried up canal...

* * *

That same lotus flower several long years ago was stared at by a young boy who reached out for it when suddenly his mother picked him up. "But Mother, I want the flower!" he pouted.

"I know you do, Lie. But that flower belongs in the river." she told him. "Just like how you belong here in the town with everyone else around." she ruffled his hair as she set him down.

"Now then, I know your father's been out for a while so why don't you take this." she handed him a couple of lien cards. "And get him something."

"Okay, Mother!" Lie ran off to find something he could give his father. The town was bustling and busy with shops of all sorts and stands, shops with food, drinks, clothing, pottery and weaponry. The boy approached his first stand that was selling alcoholic drinks and held up his card.

"Sorry little guy." the man shook his head.

"It's for my father." he pouted.

"Hmm... I know! Why don't you get him a snack?" he directed him over towards the bakery that was selling freshly baked pastries.

"Oooh. Great idea! Thanks Mister!" Lie smiled before running towards the bakery and putting his lien cards on the table and looking around at the pastries. He pointed to a small loaf of the cat bread they had and grinned as he was handed it by the baker in exchange for his money.

Lie walked outside and looked to the bread. "Oh I know father will just love this!" he looked to it before a girl that was running bumped into him, making him drop the bread that she soon picked up.

"H-Hey don't just stand there get her!" an older boy stated as Lie followed his lead before stopping in an alley between houses where the girl was starting to eat the bread that he wanted to give his father.

"T-That bread was for my father!" Lie complained as the girl growled like a feral animal.

"Don't worry we'll make her pay for eating it." one of the older boys cracked their knuckles.

One of them reached a hand out to try and grab her but she bit them. "OW! That feral thing bit me!"

"It's best we just throw her out of town, she'll only bring Grimm here." the third boy with them took a step forward.

Ren looked down and was feeling bad for her. He started to approach but then the girl just broke into a sprint past everyone and ran, bumping past a man that now stood behind Lie.

"After her!" the boys followed in pursuit as Lie looked down shamefully before the man that stood behind him knelt down in front of him.

"Sometimes, not acting is worse than doing something bad." the man stated.

"Father, that bread it was-"

"I know, son, I know." his father hugged him before picking him up. "Come now, we can get another one. It'll be alright."

* * *

Ruby kicked down a door inside the clinic and coughed as the dust in the building was clearly there for a while. "Alright, I just need antivenom... Antivenom..." Ruby scanned her eyes around the shelves, some of them were clearly broken from prior looting. She opened a drawer and took some bandages and alcohol from a cabinet before entering the next room.

"Come on, Come on... AHA! Found it!" Ruby called out, now holding up a bottle. "Now to just give this to Uncle Qrow... Hopefully expiration dates won't matter." she started outside of the building and went back to the town square where she could have sworn she saw a branch move in the farthest distance away in the forest.

"I found something that could help Jaune." Ruby held up the bottle of antivenom.

"Well, Hopefully this'll keep him steady till Ren and Nora get back here..." Jaune looked over towards the mountain they had to pass through to get to Mistral's capital city.

* * *

"Are we almost there, Ren?" Nora asked.

"I think so." he confirmed with a nod as he tried to look ahead but couldn't as there was still mountain in his line of sight. "We need to hurry. Ruby and Jaune are counting on us."

Ren kept walking when Nora suddenly and harshly yanked his arm. "Ren." she pointed towards something.

"What is it, Nora?" he then turned in the direction he was pointed in and his eyes went wide.

* * *

Lie woke up to the sounds of a terrifying screech followed by panic, gunfire and metal clashing against something.

"Lie, wake up, please!" An shook her son as Lie sat up.

"Mother, what's going on?"

"I love you so much, Lie. We're going to-" she was about to pick him up when the roof of the house suddenly collapsed and everything would go black for Lie till he woke up moments later being carried by his father, Li.

"Father?" Lie asked before he was dropped suddenly and looked up at the beast in the distance. "Father! GET UP!" he shook him as he struggled to his knees.

"Son, you have to leave now." Li instructed. "I'll buy you some time, but you have to go!" he insisted as he then took his knife out from his pocket.

"Be strong, be brave my son." he handed the knife to Lie now.

"But father..." Lie argued before suddenly a long arm attempted to grab at Ren but instead would only strike Li as he was knocked down.

"GO NOW!" he insisted as his aura shattered while he then took the bow off his back and took an arrow out of his quiver. He screamed as he fired the arrow at it before reaching for the next.

Lie was breathing heavily as he ran and ducked into the canal he was looking at earlier while Nevermore, Griffons and Beowolves were overrunning the town, he even saw one nevermore clutching a human arm out of it's beak.

His whole world fell apart in just a matter of moments. He then saw the girl from earlier, now hiding underneath a house and curled up crying as all the airborne Grimm flew overhead.

Lie clutched the knife in his hand tightly as everything suddenly slowed down and he felt an air of calm about him while his aura then activated and he suddenly went gray, a Beowolf that was approaching him failed to notice him and that's when he realized what had just happened.

He looked in the direction of the girl and narrowed his eyes.

The girl was screaming as a Beowolf attempted to claw for her but couldn't reach her from under the house when suddenly from behind her Lie grabbed her shoulder. "Hey!" he tried to appear friendly but was slapped by the screaming girl and he fell over..

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she panicked before she tried to help him up before the Beowolf now got a hold of her leg and she started screaming again as it was starting to pull at her.

Lie glared and stabbed it's hand with his knife, making it let go as it then backed away before he then took hold of Nora's hand. "Be brave." he told her as the largest Grimm, with horse's legs and lanky arms walked by. Both him and the girl went gray, he stared at her the entire time and didn't let go of her hand.

Hours went by as the Grimm all cleared out, ignoring the two as Lie had managed to calm his new friend down and use his semblance whenever his aura recharged.

Lie then noticed a toy hammer underneath the house adjacent to the one they were under. He smiled and went to grab it but was stopped by the girl, who was clutching his hand tightly and shaking fearfully.

"It's okay. I think they're gone." he assured. "And I'm not going to leave you."

_Never knew a time,  
When you weren't by my side,  
The one thing I could always count on  
_  
She let go of him as he picked up the hammer and approached her. She met him halfway and he handed the hammer to her. "What's your name?" he asked.

_Always there for me,  
You've been my family,  
Ever since all other hope was gone..._

"N-Nora." she sniffled as she took hold of the toy hammer in his hand and weakly smiled as the sun shone down on them.

"I'm Lie Ren." he smiled to her warmly.

* * *

Ren and Nora entered a cave, this cave was littered with weapons and the stains of what seemed to be black blood on the wall.

"Ren? Is this... Could it be?" Nora gasped as Ren picked an arrow off of the ground. It was one of his father's arrows.

Ren immediately turned towards the other exit of this cave that had a clear view of Kuroyuri.

Nora took hold of Ren's hand now as the two turned towards their former home where their friends currently were.

* * *

Qrow gagged and leaned up against the town square's tree. "It didn't work. Just leave me."

"We're not going to leave you Uncle Qrow." Ruby argued.

"Ruby..." Jaune looked up now at a shadow that was starting to get bigger as the sound of a horse's footsteps got closer to the two followed by a fainter sound of two smaller pairs of footsteps as Ren and Nora both entered the village in a frantic sprint from the other entrance.

"Guys!" Ren shouted before he then looked up and fell to his knees. "No..."

The beast stopped now as it looked down on the four students and injured huntsman. It's head twitched as it became full of motion again while the horse head on the lower half of it's body now had dull eyes.

The Nuckelavee opened it's almost sewed shut looking mouth and let out a blood curdling screech.

* * *

**Commentary**: Here's the essential Flashback episode that makes this Kuroyuri arc all about Ren getting some much needed closure in his life. On account of Weiss's storyline being finished for this volume, next chapter we'll check in with Blake.


	18. Chapter 18: The Right Answer

Sun gasped for air as he woke up in a hospital cot, although the hospital looked very crowded and the only thing separating him from other patients was a thin curtain that surrounded his cot. He looked down to his chest and saw a bandaged mark there that made it hurt to move his arm.

Next to his bed, he glanced over to see Blake who was asleep. "Um... Blake?"

She jolted awake and drew her weapon out instinctively. "Oh... Sun." she took a deep breath of relief before she then put her weapon away.

"Sorry to startle you." he sat himself up.

"It's alright." Blake assured. "Besides, if anyone should be apologizing it's me."

"For what?" Sun asked.

"For you getting hurt because of me."

"Uh... Remnant to Blake." Sun poked her forehead with his not sore arm. "You're not the one who stabbed me."

"No, but you got stabbed because of me." Blake shook her head.

"Unless you mind controlled that Ilia girl to convince her to stab me, you didn't hurt me Blake." Sun argued.

"But this is the second time this has happened, Sun. I'm cursed." she shook her head. "Whenever someone tries to help me, they just get hurt because of mistakes I made, that I ran away from."

"Do you... Think it was easy for Yang when you ran off from her?" Sun asked.

"W-What do you mean?" Blake glanced up.

"I'm asking you, do you think any of your friends are okay with you just taking off on your own like this? It's our decision to help you, Blake. You can't make that for us. Why do you think I came along? Because you forced me to? No. I went of my own volition because I want to help my friends." Sun smiled to her.

"Still though, of all friends to pick... You chose me? And honestly Sun... Part of me maybe hopes that they hate me so they won't miss me." Blake held her head now.

"Blake, come on. I know you don't believe that." Sun stood himself up and grabbed his shirt from where it was hanging and put it on, still gripping his arm in pain from having to raise it too much. "You know what you're doing by shutting everyone out like this? You're letting that manipulative psycho you described to me win."

"S-Sun I-"

"No, Blake. You of all people should know that what Yang did wasn't because of what Adam wanted, or because of you running away from your problems. Sure those things added up. But it ultimately came it's head when Yang decided to help you." Sun sat down next to her. "Yang made the choice and I'm sure you could bet that she'd have made it again. Just like how I'd throw myself in the line of fire like I did back there for you, any time because I care. Your friends care about how you feel and all we want is to help you get what you want. So please, Blake. Stop shutting us out."

Before Blake spoke up Ghira poked his head into the small hospital tent. "Oh am I interrupting a moment?" he asked. "I apologize if I am."

"Its fine Dad." Blake assured as Sun stood up and let Ghira sit while sitting back on his cot. "What is it? Did you find something on Ilia's scroll?"

"I did." Ghira took a deep breath. "Plans for an attack on Haven Academy."

"Haven?" Sun groaned. "T-That's my school."

"It'll be Beacon all over again." Blake stood herself up. "We need to do something to stop it."

"We do." Ghira affirmed. "I will hold a press conference, right outside of the town hall. With the evidence we have on this scroll, we will have all we need to get the good people of this city on our side."

"One problem though, Dad. People put their trust into the White Fang here, how are we going to just go and tell them that it's all a lie?" Blake crossed her arms. "Not to mention, why would they be inclined to stop an attack? Humanity's done nothing for us. Sure you can appeal to their sense of morality, but if they're too afraid, if they're too apathetic then this'll be for nothing."

"Well, that's where I'm hoping you'll step in." Ghira put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You'll speak up."

"A-Are you certain? M-Me?!" Blake was nervous now.

"You were at Beacon first hand and your human teammates stuck up for you. One of which, I'll remind you was a Schnee." Ghira pointed out.

"I... I see your point." Blake nodded before taking a deep breath. "If this'll get me some aid for stopping the attack on Haven, then I'll gladly do it."

"Say, Mr. B. Were you able to find any other information on that scroll?" Sun asked trying to flex his arm a bit.

"Just some texts about monitoring us." Ghira stated. "All calls are from blocked numbers or code names."

"There has to be something we can use as evidence the White Fang are up to no good apart from the attack plan." Sun panted heavily as it still hurt a lot when he flexed his arm even as his aura was slowly healing the wound.

"I'm afraid this is all we've got." Ghira shook his head as Kali entered.

"Is everything going alright?" she asked before looking towards Sun and offering him a thermos cup. "Some tea for you."

"T-Thanks." Sun accepted and drank some of the tea.

"No, we're trying to figure out how we can get the people of Menagerie to side with us against the White Fang." Blake shook her head.

"I see..." Kali sat down next to Sun and started to ponder. "Well your father wants to give that speech."

"Yeah and his idea is me speaking up to try and appeal to people, but honestly I don't know if I have the charisma." Blake shook her head.

"Blake Belladonna. You are my daughter. If anyone has charisma it'd be you." Kali stated firmly.

"C'mon Blake. What's the worst that could happen? We'll probably have the police watching us..." Sun pointed out as Blake took a deep breath.

"We'll need a day to make the arrangements." Ghira explained. "But tomorrow I'll speak on the matter unscripted." he affirmed. "You likely will too, unless you'd like to prepare something."

This got Blake thinking. "Alright. We'll do it your way, Dad. But I'd like to keep my weapon on me for this, in case anything suspicious happens. Even with the police present the White Fang likely won't just take this sitting down."

* * *

The day had come and gone, Blake spent most of it with Sun, just trying to compose her speech with his input. Thankfully Sun was able to be checked out of the hospital just in time for the speech as Blake, Sun, Ghira and Kali all stood inside of the Town Hall's entrance, the press conference was to be held right in front of it and the podium was ready with a few journalists gathered about to record.

"Nervous dear?" Kali asked.

"Well it has been a few years since I've addressed our people like this." he admitted.

"Dad, I'm sure you'll do fine." Blake assured him. "I'll be behind you." she looked to the speech she had prepared in her hands. "Just like how I know you'll be behind me, right?"

Sun was mostly keeping quiet, but he did smile a little bit at Blake's willingness to accept the support of someone else, even if it was just her father.

Ghira opened the door, Kali, Blake and Sun all followed out, standing behind Ghira as he stood in front of the podium.

"Brothers, sisters and all who have come today. I come to you all today, not with horrible news, but news of something that will allow us all to make a change." he began as the crowd was notably starting to cheer.

"As you are all aware, the Fall of Beacon was a horrible tragedy. Many lives were lost and people's ways of life destroyed." Ghira stated.

"Yeah because of Atlas!" one person in the crowd interjected loudly getting cheers as Ghira raised an arm up to silence them.

"It has recently come to light that the attack on Beacon wasn't intended to be an isolated incident and the Atlesian Military isn't the only party at fault." he reasoned. "A splinter group within the White Fang has overstepped it's boundaries."

This was getting the crowd talking as Sun glanced over to Blake. "Why are they all so surprised by this?"

"It's likely the White Fang has been keeping this information from them." Blake stated. "What my Dad's saying now is news to a lot of the people here, I'm not gonna be surprise if people don't believe it."

"This splinter group is lead by non other than Vale Commander, Adam Taurus." Ghira explained as the crowd was again chattering among themselves, some of whom were voicing doubt.

"Recently, I have gotten a hold of some private information from the scroll of a White Fang operative. This operative has orders to partake in an attack on Haven Academy come the next Full moon next month."

The crowd expressed audible shock now at this new information being presented to them.

"Which is why I would like to enlist your help in staving off this attack and protecting the Academy and people of Mistral from another tragedy." Ghira finished as the crowd was now left in a state of confusion and uncertainty.

"My daughter, Blake who was at the Beacon attack will express to us all why it is important that we stand with the people of Mistral against injustices caused by our own Kind.

Sun pat Blake on the back and Kali offered an encouraging smile as Blake stepped up to the podium now and took a deep breath.

"My time at Beacon was short." Blake began. "I made many friends and most of them were human. If we continue to allow the White Fang to act the way they have Splinter Group or not, then we're just welcoming us to be reviled as Monsters, no worse than the Grimm." she took a deep breath and looked to the next part of her speech, it was addressing her teammates individually starting with her team's leader and going all the way to Yang, her partner.

"I was a member of Team RWBY, a team of which I was the only faunus on, yet my teammates-"

"Aided you in fighting against your own people!" the voice of Ilia interjected from the crowd as she stepped up, at the base of the stairs now.

"What?!" Blake was confused now as Ghira and Kali glanced over to Sun, who nodded and jumped off around the stairs to try and get the drop on her while a couple of the police that were there, stood between Ilia and the Belladonnas, to prevent her from moving closer.

"Why don't you tell them, Blake. Tell them how you teamed up with a Schnee and betrayed your own people?!" Ilia scoffed, her skin turning red now.

"Ilia, it's not like that at all and you know it!" Blake glared.

"Oh?! what's this then?" she held up Blake's scroll with a picture of her with her teammates. "You look awfully chummy with that Schnee there and don't even get me started on the blonde. Doesn't ANYONE here remember what she did during the Vytal Festival?!"

Blake looked away. "Your team's a bunch of loose cannons. I'm willing to bet that red girl probably killed a few of us on your mission, too. I don't even wanna discuss what they did to Vale Lieutenant." Ilia turned to the crowd and the cameras. The crowd was in a panic now. "Don't believe the Belladonnas, they'll only lead you to your deaths! But if you truly believe in our cause, in Adam Taurus. Then you'll know that he will lead our people to the path of betterment! He knows what crimes the kingdoms and academies have committed onto our people and he will deliver justice to-"

Sun then jumped at Ilia and attempted to bring his staff down on her, but she saw his attack coming and jumped out of the way. Sun grasped his chest in pain as he fell to one knee as Ilia smirked before jumping off into the bushes as several ravagers and Nevermores were now flying in from the sky.

"Sound the alarms!" the police chief demanded. "Sir." he looked to Ghira.

"Sabor." Ghira looked to him seriously. "I should stay and help our people.

"No, sir what's important is that you stay safe, we'll protect the people." he took his pistol out and fired a shot at an oncoming Nevermore.

Blake took Gambol Shroud off her back and started firing off shots at the oncoming Grimm. "Run!" she yelled as she then used her sheath to slice through a Nevermore's wing, killing it as she saw a Nevermore pick a girl with bear ears up off the ground. This girl was screaming.

Blake wanted to fire a shot off but Kali held her arm. "No, wait you might hit her!"

She stopped and hesitated, unsure of what to do when suddenly a web shot out and pulled the girl towards a woman wearing a spider Grimm mask over her face. She wore no sleeves and the webs appeared to emerge out of her wrists.

Another faunus, wearing a Bat Mask flew towards the Nevermore and drop kicked it onto the ground where Corsec stepped on it and Fennec stabbed through it's head. "Go now!" the two brothers instructed as the girl ran back towards her mother while the Ravagers were starting to fire off shockwaves at the town.

"Trifa, pull as many down as you can." Corsec instructed the spider-masked one who smirked and nodded, jumping up. to a roof.

"Yuma, draw their attention." Fennec stated as the bat masked wearing White Fang operative smiled and flew up into the air, getting the attention of as many of the airborne Grimm as he could.

"You want a free meal?! I'm right here waiting for you!" he called out as he flew around.

Sun could only watch in awe. "Wow, he's actually getting them onto him. Sabor and the other police were firing on the Grimm and hitting a few.

Trifa was pulling as many down as she could for Corsec and Fennec to kill by stabbing and slicing through them.

Corsec cut through two that flew in his direction with a bit of fire dust, while Fennec then jumped over his brother's shoulder and kicked another one that got close and stabbed one that wasn't flung his direction before looking to his brother and nodding.

"Yuma, Trifa, now!" Yuma drew all of the Ravagers and Nevermore flying after him in one direction while Trifa threw as many of them in the same direction Yuma was going before Yuma flew upwards and turned away just as Corsec activated the wind dust in one of his daggers while Fennec activated the fire dust in his daggers, creating a massive fiery tornado that incinerated all the Grimm.

One last ravager flew in Blake's direction that she readied herself to cut down, but it came short of her, attempting to bite at her face now as one of Trifa's webs was holding it back. Smiling, Fennec shot out a single ball of fire from his dagger and the beast exploded into a dark mist.

The crowd cheered as the four White Fang members had saved them from the Grimm that the Belladonna's press conference had attracted.

Ghira stepped outside and looked to see the damages done by the Grimm, many roofs were blasted in, some of which ended up collapsing a few homes and buildings. "Sabor, you go tend to anyone who was injured." Ghira instructed as Sabor nodded and a couple of his officers ran off to go help the wounded.

Blake and Sun approached the four White Fang members who were being showered in praise.

"We're horribly sorry for what happened during your speech, sister Blake." Corsec bowed his head in apology.

"Don't play that game with me, Corsec." Blake glared.

"What do you mean?" Fennec asked.

"We know you sent Ilia to spy on us." Sun stated as he held his shoulder.

The two brothers turned to each other and nodded. "Sister Ilia has been acting as a member of the splinter group." Corsec explained.

"Yes, we have been hunting her and can assure you she will receive the maximum punishment." Fennec added.

Blake let out a sigh. "Well thanks for your help in dealing with these Grimm."

"Of course, it is but our duty as members of the White Fang to protect the good people of Menagerie." Trifa approached while cutting a web from her wrist with her knife.

"But that's not to say we didn't appreciate the help you were able to bring us." Yuma chuckled upon landing as Sun glared at him slightly while still holding his chest.

"Now then, if you want to protect your people truly, then I'd say you should join back up with us at the White Fang." Corsec offered as Blake turned away and scoffed. "Come on Sun."

Fennec narrowed his eyes as the pair of them left. "They'll regret their decision..."

"Yes, they most likely will. Especially once we get our new orders from high leader Adam." Corsec smirked to his brother while Yuma and Trifa were busy mingling with the people they just saved.

* * *

"That couldn't have gone any worse!" Blake lamented, sitting on the couch and resting a hand on her forehead. "All we did was get people to want to work with them! And I know Corsec and Fennec are working with Adam. They planned this. They had to have!"

"Blake, without any evidence the police won't do anything. I'm inclined to believe you since they're now holding a membership drive for the White Fang. But I'm afraid that isn't enough evidence to catch them on." Ghira crossed his arms.

"We need the right answer for this. A way to counter them." Sun shook his head. "But what could that be? What could we do that could destroy them?"

"Are you sure destruction is the right route for them?" Kali asked with concern. "No one deserves to be destroyed."

Blake thought about it long and hard while pacing around the room now. "Sun... Dad..." she looked over towards her mother now with a smile. "That's it! We don't destroy them." she snapped her fingers. "The people of Menagerie aren't interested in partaking in a war."

"What do we do then, Blake?" Sun asked, curiously.

"We get the people of Menagerie to help us protect something! There doesn't have to be any bloodshed." Blake nodded.

"How would you propose we recruit the people of Menagerie?" Ghira asked.

"The same thing the White Fang is doing now."

"A draft?" Kali asked.

"Yes." Blake nodded. "We petition the people of Menagerie to get them to join our cause in protecting Haven Academy from the impending attack. If we can't beat the White Fang head on, then we'll just work ourselves around them. We'll form a new organization for the true betterment of the faunus."

"I'll help you draft the petition up." Ghira stood himself up.

"Let's get to work." Blake smiled confidently.

* * *

**Commentary**: And with this Blake's arc is done for the volume, with the trust in her family being at an all time low after the White Fang had to clean up a mess they stirred up. I notably moved one major event from Volume 5 to here, that being Ghira's press conference. It just made more sense to have it here rather than in Volume 5, especially if each storyline needs a finale. Speaking of which, next up we conclude Yang's storyline with some good ol' Yang action...


	19. Chapter 19: Fired up

Zwei barked as he sat on the porch, watching as Taiyang and Yang stared each other off with their fists raised, waiting to see who would make the first move.

"Show me what I taught you." Taiyang stated. "And don't hold back. This won't end till one of our auras are broken."

"Fine by me." Yang sprinted forward and jumped up with a punch aimed at her father. He rolled out of the way and attempted to kick her, she raised her left arm up to block the kick and and threw out a punch that hit Taiyang's side with her prosthetic arm, making him stagger off slightly.

"Not bad." Taiyang rubbed his side. "That thing hits really hard."

"I know right?" Yang chuckled as she then held up her arms in defense as Taiyang ran towards her, punching at her, she blocked his first punch, but was caught slightly off guard when he punched her in the ribs and caused her to take a few steps away.

"Come now, any real opponent you fight won't keep hitting the same spot."

Yang took a deep breath before running forward with her fist reeled back. Taiyang, ducked and stuck his leg out in anticipation of her next move, but it never came as instead, Yang rolled over his leg and kicked him in the back, making him fall to his knees before she then stood herself up.

"Not bad." he then stood himself back up as Yang started to walk around him. He kept facing her now, reeling his fist back, ready for a punch. Yang did at the same time as well.

"**ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORAAAAA**!" they yelled in unison as their punches collided, each punch coming out faster than the last before Yang stopped, swept his leg out from under him with her foot and caught him, now smiling down at him.

"I know you don't want to really exhaust yourself this much, Dad." Yang pointed out, pulling him to his feet.

"True, but I haven't gotten my blood flowing this much in ages." Taiyang chuckled as he scratched the back of his head now. "Alright, you win. You can leave. I don't wanna be a hassle on you. But before you leave, there is one more thing I'd like to give you. Give me your scroll."

He fiddled with it slightly before handing it back to her. "There. Oh! One last thing."

"What now?" Yang rolled her eyes before he hugged her.

"Come home safe, and with your sister." he stated as she hugged him back.

* * *

Cinder jumped to the side to dodge a Beringel that jumped at her, it slammed it's fists into the ground and roared before, Cinder with a single focused orb of fire threw it, right through it's head, the Grimm crumbling to dust as Salem smirked, Emerald and Mercury only watched from the side.

"Remember to control your emotions, control the power, not the other way around." Salem coldly instructed as the door opened, diverting everyone in the room's attention.

Tyrian, stumbled in, looking rather weak and defeated, his tail now without it's stinger as he fell to his knees in front of Salem.

"Please... Forgive me." he bowed his head down, wanting nothing more than for forgiveness.

"Where's the girl?" Salem demanded coldly.

"She got away. Qrow, Qrow Branwen showed up and interfered! The girl wasn't alone either! She was able to best me and take my stinger." he explained, now kissing the ground in front of her feet.

Salem turned away from Tyrian in disgust.

"Oh! But your grace! I poisoned Qrow! He will surely die within the day!" Tyrian laughed as he hoped she would accept that as a job well done.

"With help he'll survive, they've been slowed at best..." Salem remarked before turning towards Salem. "You disappoint me." she stated before walking away.

Cinder just smirked as Emerald and Mercury followed after her.

Tyrian broke down into hysterics, screaming and crying as a Beowolf had followed him in from outside and licked it's teeth, smelling the negativity flowing off of Tyrian. Cinder stopped, wondering if he was going to let himself be eaten like this.

Tyrian screamed as he whipped the Beowolf with his tail and jumped onto it and stabbed it's throat before he kept stabbing into it as many times as he could to the point where the Beowolf stopped moving as he laughed maniacally as tears fell down his face.

Cinder watched this scene with disgust as Emerald took hold of her hand and pointed towards Salem.

Cinder went back further into the fortress with Salem.

* * *

The Patch Tavern was busy at this time of day with people cycling in and out of the place, through it's door. However, the door would find itself forced open the hardest when Yang Xiao Long entered the establishment, wearing her complete outfit, with her gauntlet, her coat tails and of course her sunglasses.

A smile happened upon her face as she sat at the bar, lowering her shades. "I'll have a strawberry sunrise please, no ice. Little umbrella." she stated before turning to the seat next to her where Alix was sitting, he was already drinking a strawberry Sunrise.

"Oh hey! Uh you were late so I already got my drink." Alix chuckled awkwardly.

"It's fine, Dad just had to give me something." Yang assured as she took her sunglasses off, putting them away as her drink was slid out towards her. However, right before it reached her, a hand from her left side interjected.

"Hey, blondie." one of Junior's thugs from the other day glared at her, aiming a gun at her. "Let's pick this up properly."

All of the Tavern's other patrons stood themselves up, each with weapons. The bartender, took a rifle out from under the bar as they surrounded the two.

Alix let out a sigh as he finished his drink. "Does a scene like this always have to happen when we go to a bar?"

"Hey now, it wouldn't be me otherwise." Yang chuckled as she then turned towards the man. "Gotta say, I'm impressed your guys actually had clothes other than the uniforms that made you stand out like a sore thumb."

"Yeah, well... Some of us from Junior's or may not have put a bounty on your head. We were about to raid your house, but the fact you walked out here and right into all of us, just makes our job that much easier." one of the men chuckled as Alix stood himself up, clutching a dagger in his hand.

"I wouldn't make any moves if I were you, boy." one of the men warned in a very thick southern sounding accent.

"So, what're you thinking?" Alix asked her as he let the other dagger fall out of his sleeve, it notably had a bronze color to it.

"Oh! You finally brought the other one!" Yang grinned. "I gotta say, bronze looks good."

"Oh, i know, right?!" Alix chuckled.

_It happens every night,  
I watch my world ignite,  
But there's no waking from this Nightmare_

"Hey, we've got you surrounded, ya hear!" another of the men sounded irritated that they were being ignored as Yang transformed her Ember Celica gauntlet.

_The stage is always set,  
The place I can't forget,  
The hidden eyes that I can feel there_

"Ready?" Alix glanced over to her, combining his daggers at their bases.

"Ready." Yang stood up, taking a deep breath, the smell alcohol and burning in the air was something she'd never be tired of.

The Bartender tried to shoot at her from behind, but Alix knocked the gun from his hand with a swing of his weapon in it's dual ended spear form as Yang ducked under a revolver shot before uppercutting the man that interrupted her drink's arrival.

_My eyes are open wide,  
I'm racing to her side,  
There's nothing that I won't do for her!_

Alix spun his weapon around in front of him, blocking a few bullets that were fired in his direction before, swinging downward and hitting one of the bounty hunters.

_But this is not a dream,  
My mind repeats the scene,  
I can't forget it and it's torture!_

Yang deflected a few bullets off of her gauntlets as she charged forward, ripping a handgun from a bounty hunter's hand and throwing it at another, smacking them in the face before she then kicked them over a booth.

_That was before,  
But not anymore,  
I've left it behind_

Alix quickly transformed his weapons back into daggers as he slid down under a swipe of another woman's hatchet before slashing at their legs and forcing them to to the ground as then sprung up with a kick towards the chest of another goon that attempted to shoot him.  
_  
The pain I went through,  
Left me with a new war cry!_

Yang fired a shot from her gauntlet at another man who was clearly not ready and trying to build his rifle, it hit and knocked him through a window as she smirked and propelled herself to the side to avoid the downward slash of a sword with a shot from her Ember Celica gauntlet.

_I'll live my life like everyday's the last,  
No living in the past,  
Best day's ever,  
I'm never looking back!_

She landed herself right next to Alix who smiled to her as he activated the dust in his daggers, making them glow green. "That looks new." Yang remarked.

"Oh it is." Alix grinned. "Think of it like a close ranged blast of wind hitting you right in the face. I still can't believe everyone in this bar has it out for you."

"Wouldn't be fair otherwise." Yang stated as she glanced over to Alix before the two charged forward.

_Call me sweetheart and I'll tear you apart,  
Just call me "Sir".  
_  
Yang blocked punches a man with brass knuckles threw at her before she then kicked them to the ground with minimal effort.

_Try to resist once you meet my new fist,  
Bye-bye!  
_  
Alix slammed a dagger down into the ground, causing the floorboard to spring up from under a bounty hunter and launch him at Yang, who promptly met him with her prosthetic's fist.

_Just look at the fire in my eyes,  
and bring my strawberry sunrise_

Yang glared as the knuckled man from before was leaning over the bar and reached for her strawberry sunrise, and she stepped on his foot and slammed his head against the bar before picking her drink up and taking a sip.

_It was you who began it,  
now you're saying_

"Goddammit!" one of the men swore loudly as he got his weapon stuck in the ground by Alix who promptly took this opening as a chance to slam them into a wall with a swipe from his dagger.

Yang threw her finished drink in another bounty hunter's face, shattering the glass. "Duck!" she told Alix who managed to successfully use his semblance to phase through the attack and also give Yang an opening to punch the bounty hunter attacking her from behind.

_I feel like I'm finally unbroken,  
Whoa, now I'm back from the dead!  
My Strength's back and confidence growing,  
Out of my way cause I'm armed and ready!_

Yang charged forward and dodged around all attacks that came her way, punching and shooting through all of the men and women that came at her, the ones that she dodged would only be met by Alix whom didn't let up his assault much either.

_Ready!  
Armed and Ready,  
I'm ready!  
Armed and Ready  
Ready, Ready,  
Armed and Ready!_

Yang found herself boosted forward towards the largest man, holding the largest weapon by Alix, who created a vortex to push her. She fired a shot and increased her momentum more before finally slamming her fist right into the man's chest and knocking him through the window.

She took a deep breath, her left hand starting to shake considerably after the fight as Alix walked over to her, spinning his daggers around as he put them away into his jacket.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Fine." she took a deep breath. "I'll be fine." she assured with a smile.

"How was the drink by the way?" Alix asked.

"I've had better strawberry sunrises." she remarked.

"I was about to say the same thing about it before we were interrupted!" Alix chuckled as the two left the tavern along with all the beaten and exhausted bounty hunters who knew when they were beat.

* * *

The pair stood by the docks as a boat docked on it's shores. "So you're still certain about going to Mistral?" Alix asked.

"I am." Yang affirmed. "My sister needs me."

"I mean she's probably fine." Alix folded his arms behind his head. "If anyone's strong, it's your sister. And if she's traveling with Jaune, Ren and Nora then she's in good hands. Even if that Jaune dude isn't as good of a fighter."

"She's totally fine." Yang affirmed. "But I still need to give her the scolding of a lifetime for leaving the way she did."

"Fair point." Alix chuckled a little with her as he let out a sigh upon looking back towards Patch. "I gotta finish packing. Our flight out to Atlas leaves tomorrow." he explained. "Be safe out there buddy." Alix held his fist out.

"You too." Yang fist bumped him before he walked off back towards Patch while Yang with Bumblebee boarded the boat that within the hour left port.

"Hold on, sis." Yang looked towards a team picture she had on her scroll. Her thumb was notably covering Blake's face on the picture as she stared forward in the direction the boat was going.

* * *

**Commentary**: With this chapter, Yang's storyline of Volume 4 is finished. I admit I indulged a bit here, with giving Yang an action set piece alongside Alix, whom likely has had his fair share of bar/club bouts alongside Yang as have her other friends. This is also the last you'll see of Alix for the time, if he even made it out to Atlas with the rest of Team FCSA. I also had Yang teamed with Alix here as a sort of way to scale her power down a bit, in that she still needed help to get out of that fight fine. Next up is the volume finale, hope you'll stick around for it!


	20. Chapter 20: No Safe Haven

A bloodcurdling screech echoed through Kuroyuri as the Nuckelavee stood before the now gathered team RNJR.

Ruby brought out Crescent Rose and immediately opened fire on the creature, only to end up having to dodge an arm that shot out in her direction.

"What is that thing?!" Jaune asked as he unsheathed his sword, transforming his shield, glancing over at Qrow whom was still coughing and wheezing.

"I think I've read about these, or Professor Port talked about it in class." Ruby stated as she dashed around an arm that shot out while Nora then fired on it, the explosion from Magnhild's grenade launcher, shaking the beast, forcing it to switch to moving it's horse half. "This is a Grimm fusion, it can only move one half at a time!" she explained as she unloaded more shots onto it.

It turned it's attention to Qrow and started to ready a charge.

Jaune stood in front of Qrow now with his shield raised before suddenly he went gray as Ren was now kneeling down and activated his semblance to mask their emotions. "Get him to safety!" Ren instructed as Jaune would do so before he finally stood himself up and removed his Stormflower guns from their holsters, glaring forward at the monster of his past.

He charged forward and fired off shots at it, that did little more than tickle it as it stopped moving and switched to it's imp half and lashed it's arm out in Ren's direction. Ren merely raised up his guns to block it, the blade cutting along it's arm as he now neared it, only for it's arm to pull back and hit him, launching him away and into a tree that he caught himself on.

Jaune finally ran out again, this time glaring at it as he attempted to cut at it from behind, but his sword didn't even scratch it's armor as it was starting to turn it's attention towards him.

"I guess I gotta use this now then." he sheathed Crocea Mors and the sheath instead of transforming into a shield became a larger, greatsword that he now used to slash at the Nuckelavee's hind let again, this time cutting clean through and making it scream out in pain as it switched to moving it's horse half around and attempted to trample Jaune, who rolled out of the way.

Ruby, charged forward with Crescent Rose and hooked it around the Nuckelavee's leg, firing a shot off, but it wouldn't budge as it then raised the leg up and kicked Ruby in the face, launching her into a wall that shattered.

Nora ran forward with her hammer and attempted to hit it directly with an upward swing, but it took a step back and as she missed it kicked forward, knocking her back.

"We need a plan!" Jaune insisted. "If it can only move half it's body at a time then..." before he could finish his thought, Ren leaped out of the tree and made an angry dash for the Nuckelavee, firing Stormflower on it in a blind rage.

"YOU WONT TAKE ANOTHER FAMILY FROM ME!" he yelled as he avoided more attacks from it's arms, now landing on one as he attempted to slice at it's head before it's upper half went limp and it bucked itself upwards, knocking Ren into the air before it switched back to it's Imp half and grabbed at Ren with one of it's arms, now slamming him into a wall.

"Ren!" Jaune called out as Nora then looked over towards Ruby who was dusting herself off.

"Ruby, I need sugar rush swirls now!" she insisted as Ruby nodded with a smile when Nora hopped onto Crescent Rose. Ruby spun around with her semblance and fired a shot off that flung Nora in Ren's direction as the Nuckelavee's other appendage almost reached him, but would instead collide with Nora.

Ren looked up in shock as the beast had Nora's hammer pinned that she was holding onto for dear life now.

Nora tried to jerk her hammer free but couldn't as Ren then started stabbing at the arm that had him pinned, forcing it to let him go as Nora was then flung around before getting slammed to the ground harshly, shattering her Aura.

"NORA!" Ren yelled before angrily turning his attention towards the Nuckelavee and opening fire onto it again as it punched him, sending him flying back, but he pulled himself back up.

"Ruby, I have a plan, but Ren won't listen!" Jaune stated as he held his sword forward and Ruby tried to divert it's attention, but it remained focused on Ren.

It grabbed Ren's arms now and flung him across the town, shattering his aura as he landed right next to Nora.

Ren grit his teeth and readied himself to charge at it again as Nora then saw this and tackled him, pulling him down to a crawl space under a house as a tendril missed them.

"Nora, we have to go, it will kill them!" Ren insisted before Nora slapped him across the face and he went silent.

"No... I won't let you kill yourself for this, Ren." she insisted as for a brief moment, Ren saw that scared girl in her eyes again.

Ren then took the dagger his father had given him out of his bag and gripped it tightly. Nora put her hand over his and smiled to him. "We'll do this together."

The pair stepped out now as Ruby kept dodging attacks from it's arms and Jaune could only keep blocking.

"Nora, Ren are you two okay?" Ruby asked as she spun her scythe around and slashed through the Nuckelavee's arm.

"We're fine now." Nora assured with a smile as she took aim with her grenade launcher at an arm that shot itself out towards Ruby, repelling it with a grenade.

"We're ready to take orders, Jaune." Ren insisted, holding his father's dagger in one hand and one of his Stormflower guns in the other.

"Good, we need to immobilize it." Jaune stated. "It can only move one half of it's body at a time."

Ruby dashed to the side to avoid it as it ran for her.

"One slam from my hammer should take out the horse." Nora assured.

"Ruby and I can deal with it's arms." Jaune stated.

"And I'll finish it." Ren agreed as Ruby then rushed over to Nora.

"C'mon!" Ruby then leaped up with Nora, using Crescent Rose to boost them both into the air as they landed on a tower as Ruby then nodded to Nora and jumped off of the roof, firing a shot off that hit the Nuckelavee's shoulder, diverting it's attention from Jaune and Ren onto.

The Nuckelavee threw an arm out towards Ruby as she then split herself into three red blurs before reassembling behind the arm and firing a shot off that boosted her right at it as she then stabbed into it's arm, pinning it down.

It then attempted to throw it's other arm at Ruby, but would miss as Ren boosted Jaune into the air and Jaune, now standing on his shield landed right onto the other arm, quickly motioning to stab it with his sword and now pinning that arm as it yelled out in more pain and switched to using the horse half of it's body.

As it started to move itself back, it would stop as Ren threw his father's dagger at it, causing it to stagger back into place. Nora took a deep breath and let herself drop with a smirk on her face as she then let gravity do most of the work as she slammed her hammer down into the Nuckelavee's horse head, completely immobilizing it now.

Ren stepped forward, removing the dagger from it's horse half and glaring straight at it as it let out a scream right in his face that he didn't falter from.

"For my family." Ren glared as he cut off it's first arm.

"For all the lives you destroyed." he cut off it's second arm.

He then grabbed it's horn and pull it's head closer to him. "For myself." he said aloud as he severed it's head and dropped it to the ground as it slowly dissipated into a massive cloud of black vapor.

The dark cloud that once shrouded Kuroyuri finally seemed to vanish as a beam of sunlight shone through the clouds as the Nuckelavee dissolved into nothing.

"We did it!" Nora cheered happily as Jaune walked over to Ren, putting a hand on his shoulder. Ruby just smiled before she then remembered.

"Uncle Qrow!" she shouted out as she ran to where Jaune had put him. "Are you okay?!" she asked as he was leaned against a building.

"Good... Good Job kiddo." he smiled up to her before the sounds of several engines neared the town as Ruby looked up and saw 3 Mistral Airships flying over them.

"We got help Uncle Qrow." Ruby smiled "You're gonna be alright."

"T-Thanks... Kiddo." he leaned back and passed out as the Mistral police rappelled down ropes from their ships and ran into the town to help the team out.

"We saw the smoke and went to investigate." one of the police officers explained from behind their gas mask. "Didn't think it'd be a bunch of kids defeating a Grimm that's long terrorized this area."

Ruby was following Qrow as he was taken out on a Stretcher while everyone else boarded airships that flew towards Mistral.

Ren and Nora sat in the airship, letting their legs dangle out as it flew them to Mistral. Nora let out an exhausted sigh as her hand held onto the ship before suddenly another hand was holding onto hers. Her eyes went wide as she glanced over and saw that it was Ren.

Nora just smiled and leaned on Ren's shoulder with Ren leaning back on her.

"Whoa..." Ruby looked on in awe at Mistral as they neared it. "I've never seen it in person..."

"Heh, I've seen it plenty of times." Jaune chuckled. "But this view is something I could never be tired of."

* * *

Several beowolves leaped at Cinder that she then swatted away with a single wave of her hand, creating a wave of fire that incinerated them all before she then created a sword of fire in her hand and slashed through another's head. She suddenly turned around and was surprised to see Ruby.

"C-Cinder... Why?" she asked, looking rather sad as Cinder smiled while walking over to her with her sword in hand, now the glass around it breaking as it was on fire.

"You made me look weak." she stated, her voice restored now. She then sliced through the girl as Emerald dropped the illusion and the beowolf that Cinder just cut through dissolved into nothing.

Salem leaned on a wall and smiled. "That Emerald girl may prove more useful than I thought." she started to walk out of the room. "Now that she's recovered, I suppose I should see what Watts and Hazel are up to." she turned towards the Jellyfish-like Grimm that was floating alongside her. "Somewhere..." the sounds of Cinder incinerating more Grimm was heard. "Quieter."

* * *

Ruby tiredly stumbled into Qrow's hospital room, noticing that he was sitting up in bed already, looking exhausted and disheveled.

_i don't know, where we should go,  
Feeling farther from our goals,  
i don't know what path we will be shown,  
But I know that when I'm with you I'm at home._

She sat at a desk by the end of the room and grabbed a pen before looking down at the blank sheet of paper she laid out for herself and took a deep breath. "I owe this to them..." she muttered under her breath before she smiled while writing.

"Dear, Dad

I'm sorry I left without as much as a goodbye, I've been well if that's what you were wondering. My friends have made sure I'm alright and I've done the same for them as well..."

Jaune Nora and Ren all sat in the waiting area of the hospital exhausted. Ren put a hand on Jaune's shoulder and Nora leaned on him tiredly, snoring loudly. The two boys just chuckled a little at this before Jaune took his scroll out.

"You know, on this whole trip I've come to realize that what happened at Beacon wasn't an isolated incident and the world itself isn't as peaceful as we once thought it was. People are hurting everywhere and there are others that want nothing more than to hurt other people."

Adam was sharpening Wilt with a Whetstone and touching the tip of it to ensure it was just sharp enough while Hazel watched him with suspicion from the corner of the room.

"But even with people like that out there, I still have faith that the good people in this world, like you... Like Yang, people that can make all the difference just by getting out there and doing something about all the bad."

Yang had finally stepped off the boat with Bumblebee. She waved off the ship's crew as she then sped off into on Bumblebee, her goals clearly set as she looked to a shaded square on her scroll's map that her father did leave a note about bandit activity in that area.

"And even if we're apart, it doesn't mean we just have to sit by and let it all happen."

Weiss glanced out the window of the cargo ship she was sitting in and looked out at the endless sky and sea that was before her before leaning back and letting herself drift off again.

"It's when we take a stand, it's when we decide to not let what knocked us down, keep us down that we make a difference. It's when we decide to just live. Not let our own self doubt or sorrow keep us down."

Blake was reading up a draft of her recruitment form and nodding and handing it over to Sun who was starting to read it over as well. They both smiled to each other, knowing very well that this was the draft as she then went to approach her father who was slumped over at his desk and looking tired before handing him their draft as he smiled and started to read it.

"That's when we make a real difference. I promise to you, when I find the answers I'm looking for and I've helped plenty of people, I'll return home to you, Yang... Oh and Zwei too! Give him a tummy rub for me and I'll tell you I'm sorry properly in person.  
\- Love, Ruby."

she finished signing the letter and folded it up into an envelope as Qrow was up and about. "C'mon kid, you won't want to miss what we're about to see." he stated as she put the finished letter away.

Team RNJR soon followed as Qrow lead them down a long tunnel. "So this is a shortcut?" Nora asked.

"Yep, this shortcut will take us to Haven a lot quicker." Qrow assured.

* * *

In the office of Headmaster Lionheart at Haven, a tea set was set up at the table and a hand reached out to take the tea.

"How very humble of you Professor." Watts leaned back on his seat and took a sip of his tea. "Quite lovely tea, wouldn't you agree?"

* * *

Later that night Qrow sat inside of a bar, looking at his scroll in disappointment before he heard the sound of footsteps stopping behind him.

He turned around and saw a boy, standing before him, he looked to be your average farm hand at that. "Okay, okay." the boy seemed annoyed and was arguing with seemingly no one.

"Um... Excuse me." the boy spoke up now. "I believe I'm supposed to ask you... For my cane back?" he seemed uncertain about it.

Qrow just nodded before standing up in front of him and grabbing Ozpin's cane from where he's had it all this time. He threw it at the boy, who caught it and transformed it out of it's compact form. "Good to see you again, Oz."

* * *

**Commentary**: With this chapter, Volume 4 is concluded. This was honestly one of my favorite volumes to write out. The four alternating storylines were a fun format to work with and I was able to do so much more than in the original, especially for Weiss and Yang's very short ended storylines. Oscar's first appearance was also pushed out to this finale because it would have been much to insert him into the volume. We will get a dedicated chapter to his story next volume, so worry not. Which Next Volume did give a few interesting challenges to me that I'll elaborate on when we get there. For now, I hope you all enjoyed this.


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